The Son Rises
by ravenwings5
Summary: The sequel to The Boundaries of Parents. I hope those of you that read the first story are anxious to see what happens when a legendary family reunites.
1. Breaking News

_Many things happened after the brief firefight between the Guardian Force and the Ice Daggers. Moonbay was able to safely take Bit Cloud and try to find him a new home. Zeke, now permanently fused with the Liger Zero, followed Van and Fiona's young son in the Gustav. As parents, Van and Fiona could feel their heart shattering to pieces, but as members of the Guardian Force, they still had to do a job._

Van called out an order to Thomas and Irvine, "Make sure those two get transported to Red River immediately. Reinforcements should arrive any minute."

Thomas was handcuffing Jaq when he heard the order. He could feel the rage in Van's voice and he could tell he was trying his best to keep his composure. "Not a problem."

Irvine echoed the same rage as he arrested Nick. "Not so tough when you have to face somebody that's more than a year old, are you? His prisoner didn't move or make a noise.

The back up Van had talked about arrived. Van and Fiona kept a close eye on the prisoners as they were loaded into an armored truck. Two Zoids led the way, while two stayed behind the truck. The Blade Liger was in between the Dibison and the Lightning Saix as they slowly made their way towards the base.

Fiona held on to the back of Van's chair during the ride. Her grip was so tight that it caused her knuckles to turn white. Van reached back with both hands and offered them to her. She accepted and tried to say something.

"I miss him all ready."

"I do, too." Van turned and smiled at his wife to reassure her.

Thomas could hear their conversation in his Dibison. He turned on a private channel and radioed Irvine.

"Do you think they'll be okay?"

Irvine shrugged, "It's tearing them apart inside. Would you be okay?"

"Guess not." He hated to see Fiona in pain, but there was nothing he could do.

Moonbay looked at Bit struggling in his seat. _"Poor little guy, he has no idea what's going on."_ She gently laid her hand on top of his head to get his attention. He turned towards her, and she noticed small tears running down his cheeks.

She tried to make the young boy understand, "Listen to me, Bit. Your parents love you so much, and I know that's not necessary for me to say. Trust me and trust Zeke and you'll be fine. I bet anything you grow up to be a hero just like your father."

Her wink seemed to subdue him as he stopped struggling in his seat. Even with the sun breaking through the storm clouds, he still felt surrounded by darkness. Moonbay hummed her famous transporter song as he drifted off to sleep.

The transportation of the prisoners went easier than anyoneexpected. This made Van worry even more as he personally oversaw Nick and Jaq's transfer to the jail cells.

"There will be a full interrogation after we report to Herman and Schubaltz." That was Van's excuse to get out of the room. He took Fiona and left Thomas and Irvine behind.

"Do you want me to get you something? Anything?" He was trying to comfort her, but something in her eyes made him stop. "Fiona? What's the matter?"

She was looking down at her and Van's rings. Her eyes jumped from hand to hand as she smiled for the first time in a while, "Bit's going to be fine."

Van didn't understand her statement.

Fiona took her husband's hand and held it to her heart. She took her other hand in Van's free hand and placed them over his heart. They stood in silence as the sounds of their heartbeats began to beat in the same rhythm.

"Bit's heartbeat is doing the exact same thing. Our blood runs through his veins. I miss him terribly, but I know in my heart and yours, he'll be fine."

The captain finally understood what Fiona was talking about. "And our spirit will be with him wherever he goes. Not to mention Zeke will be with him."

She nodded her head and looked up to her husband's eyes. He smiled back and scooped her up in his arms. They held each other tight until they heard a knock on the door.

"I was just sent to tell you that your presence is requested in the command room," Thomas yelled through the door, "We can't begin without you two."

Van and Fiona nodded at each other and walked out to meet the others.

Later that night, the members of the GF were finding it difficult to get any sleep. Van sat by Fiona's side as she tossed and turned in their bed. They felt that Bit was safe, but it didn't make it any less painful.

Thomas was in the technician's lab with Catherine when he heard the intruder alert blast over the PA system. "All members of the Guardian Force report to your Zoids immediately! The jail cells have been hit and we have prisoners escaping!"

Van was too far from the Blade Liger; by the time he got to the hangar, a sonic wave washed over him.

Irvine was in his Lightning Saix, but couldn't detect anything on radar to pursue. He slammed his fist against the side of the cockpit as he heard Van's voice.

"Nothing, buddy?"

"I'm sorry. I couldn't pick up anything on radar."

Van shut off the link and looked up at the sky in disbelief. Thomas called out to him from the control room, but couldn't get through.

Fiona stepped outside and peered into the darkness. Her body grew cold as she sat down in front of her door. Minutes later, Van walked up to her. "I'm sorry I failed you."

She shook her head, "You have never let me down, Van Freiheit, and you never could."

"We'll catch them. I'll make sure of that."


	2. Moving On

The flight was completely silent. Jaq thanked Angel for the bust, but she didn't reply. Jaq took the hint and said nothing else.

The other Triple S was a different situation. Spence and Nick had been discussing what was wrong with Angel.

"I understand she's pissed about missing the Liger Zero, but we couldn't have known Van's organoid could do that. Or is she pissed because me and Jaq were captured?"

"Like you said, we couldn't have known what was going to happen. She's angrier with herself for being caught off guard."

"If she was really surprised, she wouldn't have had these babies ready. Where did they come from?"

"She had these at our new hideout that Jaq had built. That's where we're headed now."

The two Zoids landed on top of a decimated mountain range. Nick looked at his surroundings. "What are we doing here? Wasn't there a village here at Mt. Isolina?"

"There was, until the Death Stinger went on the war path. The few that survived decided to move on to another village instead of rebuilding here. It left Angel and Jaq plenty of time to prepare this hideout."

Both guys looked over at Angel who was getting out of her cockpit. She went over to a rock mound and pushed a button. Suddenly both Sworders were being lowered into a hangar.

"Nice! This is one hell of a hideout!" Nick was impressed as he inspected the place. He was startled when Angel finally broke her silence.

"Thanks to this failed mission, we are the Guardian Force's public enemy number one."

This statement struck her comrades hard. What she said next surprised them, "What do you think we should do?"

Nobody knew what to say. Spence finally spoke up, "If it's the Ice Daggers they want, then we should reconsider being together."

Angel nodded her head and Nick remained indifferent. Jaq had a problem, "I can't exactly go back home. What do you expect me to do?"

"Do what you do best. Espionage and sabotage will still be in demand. Assassinations never seem to get old. Just being a mercenary means you're bound to make money somewhere. This is what we have to do to survive." Angel's reply felt like the end.

"What do you want to do about the Liger Zero?" Spence looked at Angel as hatred blazed through her eyes at the sound of that name.

"A Zoid like that shouldn't be too hard to find. Find the Liger, and you find Captain Freiheit's son. The bounty will remain--wanted dead or alive."

"So this is it? It's over after all we've been through?" Jaq wasn't happy at all.

"It just has to look like it's over. Each of us is highly skilled at one thing or another. It might be advantageous for us to keep in contact. One day, we will strike back." Spence worked hard to form the perfect mercenary unit, and he didn't want it all to disappear in a day.

* * *

Newspapers were quick to print the story about the jailbreak.

Moonbay couldn't believe what she just read. Nick and Jaq had been busted out of jail, so now all four members of the Ice Daggers were reunited. She put the paper down on the table and sipped her coffee. At her feet, Bit was playing with his toys. She smiled when she saw him playing, but looked around the hotel lobby cautiously. Just then, her communicator beeped and Irvine asked if everything was okay.

"We're fine, Irvine. I read what happened."

"I figured you had, that's why I'm calling. How's the little one doing?"

She turned the communicator towards Bit as he looked up and smiled at Irvine. "Guess I'll take that as an okay. Looks like he's adjusting to what's happening."

"For a one-year-old, you'd be surprised how much he understands. I'm pretty sure he's relying on what he feels more than actually understanding anything. We both know where he gets that from." She winked at Irvine as he told her to be very careful and call him the minute trouble stirred.

"Well, Mr. Cloud, are you ready to continue your first journey?" She cradled him as she picked up his things and headed to their room to pack. Their night might have been restless, but once Bit was in the Gustav, he seemed to calm down and fall asleep again.

Moonbay bought a new trailer and loaded the Liger Zero. She covered the Zoid hoping that people wouldn't give it a passing glance.

Fortunately, she had worked for a wealthy couple that couldn't have any children. She felt that they were reliable and trustworthy to raise Bit. They also had quite a Zoids collection, and Zeke should feel right at home. As she explained this to Zeke, he seemed to hang his head.

"I know you miss Van and Fiona, but you have an important duty to protect their son. They're counting on you to be there for him because they can't. You two might be bored at this new place, but at least you'll be safe."

The transporter had no idea how wrong she would be.

Moonbay was trying to figure out an explanation to tell the couple. Everything she came up with seemed impossible, but when she really thought of the situation, it _did _seem impossible.

It would take half a day to reach their destination. Hopefully, in that time she could think of a reasonable explanation.

She sang as she drove along into the morning. Finally, as she approached a beautiful mansion, she felt confident enough in a story to tell the young couple. A maid answered the door and allowed her and the child to enter.

"I'm sorry for coming unannounced. I know it's been a long time since I've worked for you two, but that's because something has come up." She stepped to one side and let Bit step forward. He looked around at his surroundings in silence.

"Moonbay, is this your son?" The lady immediately knelt down to Bit.

"Yes, he is. I guess I better explain." She was working hard to convince them that she was a mother with a difficult decision to make.

She hated lying to them, but she had no choice if she was going to keep her promise to Van and Fiona. She explained that Bit's father had been murdered by people he owed money too, and that she and Bit had been spared so they could pay off the debt.

"I didn't even realize he owed so much money to those people. No matter how hard I work, I can't seem to get enough. They threatened my little boy if I couldn't come up with the money, and I saw no other alternative. I need to leave him with someone that can raise him in a protected environment."

Ivan and Erica turned to each other and smiled. "We'd be more than happy to help you, Moonbay. I'm so sorry for your loss."

Moonbay was relieved to hear it, as she gave them heartfelt hugs and thanks. "I know you'll make a wonderful mother."

The woman was grateful to hear such a reassuring statement and welcomed the little boy in her arms. Bit was confused as he looked at his new parents.

Moonbay understood how frustrating it must be for him to lose his parents, lose her, and now move into a new home. She hoped with all of her heart that she wasn't making a mistake.

"There's one more thing I want you to have. You can think of it as Bit Cloud's guardian."

"So that's this young fellow's name? It's nice to meet you Bit Cloud." Her smile was warm and loving. Her husband's eyes reflected the same emotions. Bit seemed to feel this and settled down.

"This is the Liger Zero. It was his father's Zoid, and I find it only appropriate if Bit grew up with him."

The couple looked at each other in amazement as they saw the white Zoid. "Moonbay, you're giving up so much. What are you going to do?"

"I'm giving all I have to give for his sake, and that's all that matters." She gave them her thanks as she left Bit and the Liger behind.


	3. Legend of the Ivory Zoid

A/N: Oops, sorry about the wait inbetween updates. This week has been so busy at work. I promise, as an author dedicated to her fans, I will make updates more often. Well, as long as you continue to review. ;)

* * *

Humans can't even begin to comprehend the power an organoid gives to a Zoid. It was a mystery how the fusion took place and how the enhancements worked. Scientists had theories about it, and the few select pilots that had the pleasure of owning an organoid only accepted it as a fact of life.

Angel pondered over the relationship between a Zoid and an organoid. Wherever she went she inquired about an ivory Zoid. Most people asked her why that particular color? What was so special about it? Her usual reply was, "Magic."

Jaq's business had to be handled delicately. It was hard to take in new clients, so she usually relied on references from former associates. To break the ice, she told the story of a very powerful Zoid with the benefit of a permanently fused organoid. Her clients would practically drool over the endless possibilities of its power. With that, she usually sealed the deal.

Even though the Ice Daggers were no longer together, they still had one common goal: to find the Liger Zero. Each of them spread the legend of the ivory Zoid wherever they went. Some didn't even believe the story; others started their own search for this fantastic Zoid.

Bit was playing in the Zoids hangar with his father. He told Bit all the information he could about each Zoid they owned. Ivan saw the boy's face as he looked at the Liger.

_"You must miss your father very much, son."_ He had discussed telling Bit about his real mother with his wife, but Erica felt it best if they kept his real parents a secret.

"Let me take you up into the cockpit. What do you say?" The little boy smiled and was thrilled playing with the controls.

"Take it easy! You have to log on first, and then you can control the Zoid."

Ivan reached down to log on for Bit, but the boy beat him to it. The man was stunned that Bit knew what to do, but he passed it off as a coincidence.

Erica stood in front of the Liger and waited for her husband and new son to come down. "I think there's something we need to discuss." Her serious tone made Bit stop smiling.

She noticed how Bit reacted to what she said, so she tried to cover it up by carrying him to his room. She laid him down in his bed and began to tell him a story. Soon, he nodded off to sleep.

Ivan was standing in the doorway the whole time. He felt that his wife madea wonderful mother. They finally felt like their lives were complete. They didn't want for anything, they owned a beautiful home, and now they had a son.

His wife eyes made him come back to reality.

"What is it?" He whispered softly.

"I received another call from a Zoids dealer, wondering if we knew anything about a white Liger."

"That's the third one in a month. What could they possibly want with the Liger Zero? It doesn't even have any weapons."

The couple walked downstairs to the living room. Erica sat on the couch with her husband next to her. "I'm really worried, honey."

"Don't be! The only people that know that we have that Zoid are Bit, Moonbay, the staff, and us. I trust our staff completely, so we have nothing to worry about." Ivan put an arm around his wife to assure her.

"I think it's very important that we keep it that way. For some reason, a lot of people are showing interest in the Liger. It might have something to do with Bit's real father. I also feel it's important that Bit have something from his past. He'll grow up and hopefully pilot that Zoid." Erica made a good point.

Erica had a pleasant dream that night. Bit was a grown man and traveled the world piloting the Liger Zero. The two were great partners, and everywhere he went, he helped people. In short, it was exactly what she hoped for him. What she woke up to, though, was a nightmare.

A fire had broken out in the Zoids hangar. She looked in horror out the window as the scene unfolded. Her husband was out there, along with the mechanic, trying to get it under control. She kept hearing something in the distance, but couldn't quite make out the sound. At first, she thought it was engines, like firefighters coming to help them. No, it wasn't firefighters. There was another sound she recognized.

Through the smoke, she finally made out some images. Rev Raptors were firing at the back entrance to the hangar. The roof was collapsing, and it finally hit her what she had been hearing.

The Liger Zero was roaring and frantically shaking off its attackers--a pair of Dark Horns. _"That's not possible! There's no pilot!" _She couldn't believe anything she saw.

Just then, she thought of Bit. She raced out of her room and into his. Bit was sitting up in his bed, not doing anything, but just sitting there. His big green eyes looked directly into hers. She started to say something, but stopped, and for a moment, they just stared at each other.

A warm feeling washed over her entire body as she held Bit in her arms. "There really is something special about that Liger, huh?"

Bit's eyes looked like they were growing deeper in color as he continued to stare.

"You and the Liger Zero must not be separated. One day, you will be reunited, my son." Erica didn't even realize she was speaking; the words seemed to come from some place else.

He nodded his head as he drifted off to sleep again.


	4. Silent Regrets

_Sixteen years have passed, and Bit and the Liger Zero have won the Royal Cup Tournament. He made a promise to the Liger to start an adventure. However, there was one person not happy with this decision._

"Hey Bit, Doc says we're all going on vacation, do you want to come with us?" Jamie entered Bit's room as he was packing his things.

"What are you doing?"

"What I've always wanted to do. The Liger and I are going off by ourselves for a while."

"Did you tell Doc about this?" Jamie was disappointed by Bit's news.

"Winning the Royal Cup tournament erased the debt I owed to him, so now I'm free to leave. At least, that was my understanding."

Jamie looked at Bit puzzled. There was something different about him. He seemed to have matured a lot over the past year. He improved his piloting skills, his bond with the Liger Zero, and even seemed less cocky than before.

"I hate to see you go, man. The Blitz Team just won't be the same."

Bit smiled at the young tactician. "I know we'll meet again. Maybe even in the next tournament."

"Did you know Brad's leaving us, too?"

"Does it surprise you? Naomi made an agreement with him while Leon and me were fighting. They're going to join forces—in more than one way."

"No, I'm not surprised by it, but still. It just seems like everything is changing." Jamie was disheartened.

"What's changing?" Leena was walking by Bit's room but stopped when she heard Jamie's comment.

"Guess I better get going. I'll see you around, Bit."

"Yeah, I'll see you sooner or later."

Bit grabbed his bag and was headed to the Zoids hangar. Leena wouldn't get out of his way.

"What's going on, Bit?" Leena came off more authoritively than she intended.

"Do you mind getting out of the way, Leena?" Bit wasn't going to put up with Leena's mood swings today.

"Not until you answer my question."

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm taking off for a while with the Liger."

She was stunned, but tried to hide it from Bit.

"Where will you go?"

"What's it matter to you?"

"Why do you always have to be such a jerk?"

Now it was Bit's turn to be stunned. He set his bag down and crossed his arms. He looked down at Leena as she looked up to him.

"Why are you so nosey?"

"You're impossible Bit Cloud! Goodbye!"

_"Fine by me, you little brat." _Bit was surprised at the harshness of his own thought.

He gathered his things to go again after Leena stormed down the hall. He finally made it to the Liger Zero.

"Well partner, where are we off to now?" The Liger looked like royality standing still as a statue.

"Were you planning on saying goodbye to me?" Doc appeared from behind the Liger.

"Doc! I didn't see you there. What are you doing?"

"Making a final inspection of the repairs to your Zoid. I was wondering what you planned on doing now, but I guess I all ready know the answer."

"It's got nothing to do with how I feel about the Blitz Team; you guys are like a second family. I thought it would be best if me and the Liger did something on our own."

"I see. Do you even know where to start?"

Bit shrugged his shoulders, "Wherever the Liger decides to go is fine by me."

"I'll make you a deal, Bit. Stay one more day and then I'll release ownership of the Liger to you. Okay?"

Bit had forgotten that Doc was still the rightful owner of the Liger Zero. He was the pilot and they shared a special bond, but he still needed ownership papers to be able to leave.

"There isn't a catch this time, right?"

Doc chuckled, "Not this time."

Leon watched his father and Bit talk from above the room. He heard a door open and shut from behind him, but didn't see anybody. _"That's strange."_

He raced over to the door and saw a girl hurrying down the corridor. "Hey, Leena! Wait up!"

She pretended not to hear him as she approached her room. He caught up to her just as she was about to shut the door.

"What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing, big brother, why do you ask?" Her voice was unsteady, and he knew something was wrong.

"Mind if I come in?"

She finally looked up to him with tears in her eyes. "Might as well."

Leon was the only person that ever saw his sister cry. Even their father thought she was invincible, because she never cried in front of him.

"Are you upset that Bit is leaving?"

She wanted to yell no and tell him that was ridiculous, but she couldn't speak the words.

"I'll take that as a yes. Why didn't you ever tell Bit how you felt?"

"Because _I_ don't even know how I feel," her voice was stable now as she spoke to her brother, "and I sure as hell don't know how he feels. I don't want to look stupid, and I definitely don't want to get hurt. Bit is so confusing. Sometimes we can have a normal conversation, but most of the time we end up yelling at each other. I hate fighting with him, but it seems like that's the only way we can communicate with each other."

"You're exactly right, Leena." Her brother sat down next to her on the bed.

"What?"

"You fight so often because you don't know to communicate with each other. You and Bit are great pilots, and over the past year, you both have improved considerably. But, he still has a lot to learn, and so do you."

She opened her mouth to speak, but didn't know what to say.

"I'm saying you could learn a lot from each other. Bit understands the importance of the relationship between the pilot and the Zoid. Now, they want take off on their own. Maybe they have room for one more person."

He took out a flyer he had in his back pocket. "Here, I want you to take a look at this."

She read the flyer, "How did you get this?"

"It comes to all the pilots that made it past the first round at the Royal Cup Tournament. If you would have checked your messages, you would have seen the same thing."

Leena walked over to her computer and checked for messages. The same flyer that Leon had was there.

"The Guardian Force is looking for new cadets to train. If you're interested, all you have to do is contact one of the following colonels."

She looked at her screen and called out the names, "Colonel Van Freiheit, Fiona Freiheit, or Colonel Thomas Schubaltz. Report to Guardian Force headquarters for an interview. Who are these people, Leon?"

He looked at his sister in surprise, "You never did pay attention in history or government, did you?

She punched her brother in the arm, "I know the Guardian Force created the Zoids Battle Commission. I remember hearing something about a fierce fight between the GF and some guy."

Leon hung his head down and let out a deep sigh. "That wasn't just some fight with some guy, Leena. The GF defeated the Deathsaur and Prozen, the Death Stinger, and finally the Ultimate Deathsaur and Hiltz. It wasn't an easy task; it took them years to finally bring peace to Zi. Colonel Freiheit is legendary among Blade Liger pilots. His skills are unmatched. Fiona is his wife, and she aided him throughout his journey. Colonel Schubaltz, along with his wife Catherine, created artificial intelligent units to accompany the members of the Guardian Force. They have the most advanced technology, easily surpassing the Backdraft group."

She was amazed at all the information, "Are you saying I should try out for the Guardian Force?"

"If you want to improve as a pilot, it'd be worth your time. Besides," he had a sly grin on his face, "I was going to give the same information to Bit. I think he'll find it most intriguing."

She smiled as she finally caught on to what Leon was doing. "Thanks, big brother."

Leon took off to find Bit, and he found him with the Liger Zero.

"I heard the big hero is leaving. I thought I'd catch up with you before you left."

He handed Bit the same paper he showed Leena and began explaining what it meant.


	5. The Dragon Rests

The Berserk Fury was completely submerged in a giant tank. Above him, Vega Obscura and Sara stood silent.

Vega finally broke the silence, "How long do you think it will take, Sara?"

She kept her eyes on the Dragon as she answered her son's question, "It's all up to him. He has to decide how much rest he needs to recover. When he's ready, you'll know."

"I'm just glad you'll be okay, Fury. We have a rematch with Bit Cloud and the Liger Zero!"

The Berserk Fury's eyes glowed at the sound of the name. Sara looked at Vega curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

"After we were defeated, I challenged Bit to another battle. I know we're more than capable to handle them!"

She didn't understand how Vega could be taking things so lightly. "You're not angry with Bit Cloud?"

"No, why should I be?"

"Well, because he defeated you! You were the king of the Backdraft until you fought the Liger Zero and his pilot."

Sara was trying to make Vega angry, but it wasn't working. He shook his head at his mother and looked towards the Fury again.

She blinked in disbelief, than left the room.

Major Palta was leaning against the wall as Sara walked out of the room. "Can I help you?"

"More like, can I help you? If you're bringing back the Berserk Fury, than I'm guessing you want to recreate the Backdraft. Am I right?"

"If I was, then what could you do for me?"

"I'm a logical kind of guy. You had the power to get rid of Alteil and most of the other members have left anyway. I need something to do, and this is all I know."

"I'm listening." Sara was only half interested in what Palta had to say.

"I know of some Zoid pilots that could be useful to you. It would at least be a start."

Sara thought things out in her head for a moment. If the Berserk Fury were to fight the Liger Zero again, it would become even stronger. Hopefully, with the kind of power the Ultimate X had, they could rebuild the Backdraft. After rebuilding the Backdraft, under her direction, they could take over the ZBC.

"You're right, we need to start somewhere. I want to meet these pilots. When can you set up a meeting?"

"It's difficult to say, but I can call you when I meet them."

"Very good. You better keep in touch, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Palta left the building and headed towards town. He looked around at the various merchants until he spotted one in particular.

He acted like he was going to buy the fruit and started talking to the man, "That was some storm last night, huh?"

The merchant nodded his head in agreement and paid close attention to Palta.

"Sure felt like the fury of _heaven_ was being unleashed."

"And here I thought only _angels_ came out of heaven." The old man seemed more interested in Palta now.

The major laughed, "Yeah! Tell me when you see one."

"I could have sworn I saw one the other day."

"Really? Did she say anything?"

The man nodded his head again. He motioned Palta to a room behind his stand. They both walked in and sat down at a small table.

"Why would you be asking about her? You haven't seen each other in a long time."

"I know. I think it's been about a year and a half now."

"So what does Major Palta want with Angel?"

He leaned forward on the table. "The Backdraft group is experiencing some changes right now. There's a new leader, a new Zoid, new warrior, and everything. When the old guard left, a lot of warriors left, too. They thought there would be no more Backdraft. They were wrong.

"Go on."

"We need Zoid pilots. I know Angel's still got it, and I'm sure the rest of her associates haven't gotten rusty. We could use them and their expertise."

"She's been keeping track of things, Palta. At the beginning of the Royal Cup, she knew that ivory Zoid would win. She won a lot of money off that bet."

Palta didn't seem surprised. "If she's been keeping track of things, does that mean she's around here somewhere?"

"You might want to check the bar later tonight. She said she would stick around here for a while."

"Thanks, old man. I might be checking in later." With that, Palta took off.

Day slowly transformed into night. The town seemed more quite than usual, as if the villagers knew something was going to happen. Palta enjoyed being alone out in the streets. He gave the sky one last glance as he stepped into the bar.

A poker game was going on at a table in the corner. The major made his way around the other tables before sitting down directly behind a brunette.

She felt someone approach her from behind, but continued the game. "Full house, gentlemen, show me what you got!"

Each disgruntled face said they had nothing to beat the hand. She raked in the money and said good night to the losers.

"What brings you out here?" Angel concentrated on counting her money and didn't look back.

"I thought I'd play a round of poker, but I guess you have to be rolling in the money to play with you."

She finally turned around, "Seriously, what do you want?"

"Where are you staying?"

"At the hotel. Do you need something?"

"I need to talk to you in private." He got up and waited for her to do the same. They walked out of the bar together and headed down the street.

Palta began to explain things to Angel after they reached her room. "I know you know what's been happening."

Angel nodded and ran her hand through her shoulder length hair. "I suppose the Backdraft is looking for new recruits. I'm getting too old to be starting my career over as a pilot."

"You haven't lost any of your skill. Besides, this is one of those offers you can't refuse. I want you to meet someone." Palta made a call to Sara and she said she would be there as soon as possible.

A knock on the door signaled her arrival. The first thing out of Sara's mouth was, "I don't believe it."

Major Palta seemed pleased with himself, "Can I deliver, or what?"

"You haven't delivered anything, yet, Palta. I believe me and your boss have to talk." Angel had the feeling Palta was trying to hand her over on a silver platter.

"Are you Angel? The one from the Ice Daggers? I had no idea what happened to you after that fight."

Angel looked at Sara with interest, "I am who you think I am. It sounds like you know your history."

"I find it useful in my type of work to study anybody that's gone up against the Guardian Force."

The sound of that name made Angel shake her head in disgust. "Now that there's the Zoid Battle Commission, why would you care about the GF?"

"The Backdraft's original mistake was trying to take out just the ZBC. Now I know we must go further than that in order to get rid of the whole problem."

"What's your plan?"

Sara was beginning to sound excited. "We could use the Ice Daggers knowledge to make this come true. What do you say?"

All Angel really wanted was to get revenge on Colonel Freiheit. After all this time, it was still her first goal. Combining the Ice Daggers knowledge of the Guardian Force, and the Backdraft's knowledge of the Zoids Battle Commission, she could finally reach that goal. If she found the Liger, then she could find Bit Cloud. He seemed to be doing well for himself; after all, he had won the Royal Cup.

"I have nothing left to lose, so what the hell?" She stood up and shook hands with her new partner.


	6. Guardian Force Reborn

Colonel Freiheit watched the cadets training from the window in his office. He loved the spirit they possessed, but they were lacking in grades. Nobody had passed the Gauntlet, and that was necessary to become a member of the Guardian Force.

"Well, what do you suggest we do? Run another test now, or later?" Colonel Thomas Schubaltz looked over at his partner.

"Let's give these guys a break. We'll run another test later." Van sighed in exhaustion. The new cadets were promising young men and women, but their training wasn't over, yet.

Fiona burst into the room, which gave both colonels a start. She ran over to the computer and checked the messages in front of Van. "You've got to see this!"

Van was glad to see Fiona so happy, even if he didn't understand why. "What's going on?"

"We're finally receiving responses to those invitations we sent out. See for yourself."

Thomas and Van scrolled through a few names until they stopped at a certain one.

"Bit Cloud…" Van whispered the name to himself over and over as he looked at the application.

Fiona was tearing up as she saw her husband's state of disbelief turn into a joyful expression. Finally, Van said something else, "Our son's coming home."

She nodded her head as Van grabbed her to give her a hug. They held each other for a while as the idea sunk into them. After sixteen years, they would finally see their son.

Catherine walked in and took her husband's hand, "Come with me. They need some time alone, Thomas."

He nodded his head and followed his wife out of the room.

"When is his arrival time?" Van pulled away from Fiona as she went to a desk in the back of the room.

"He should arrive tomorrow. We're expecting six or seven people." She found what she was looking for. It was a scrapbook that seemed years old.

She sat down and opened up it for the hundredth time. In the beginning, there were wedding and baby pictures. Most of Bit's life was a mystery to them, but when the Zoid battles began, Fiona had spotted her son once again. There were several pictures of the Blitz Team and profiles supplied from the Zoids Battle Commission. She had read over them so many times that she felt she knew them personally. The rest of the book followed Bit's career ending at the Royal Cup Tournament.

A chilling thought entered Fiona's mind as fear flashed through her husband's eyes. "Van, I just thought of something."

He nodded his head slowly, "I just thought of something, too."

"But all these years have passed, they couldn't…" Fiona's thoughts trailed off as she pulled the book closer.

"We still can't take that risk."

"I'm tired of this, Van. I want to see our son again. I want to be able to look at him in person. I'm tired of living in fear of his life."

Van leaned up against the desk and looked at the ground. "He's not a little boy anymore. I don't think he'd have a problem fighting anybody that got in his way."

Fiona nodded her head in agreement. "Think of it Van, after all this time, we could be a family again."

"I wonder what we should tell him. He grew up knowing different parents. It would be hard to explain to him why we did what we did."

"You're right," Fiona was having a hard time speaking, "maybe it would be best if we--if we just acted like recruiters for the Guardian Force when he first arrives. Then after we get to know him, we could think about telling him."

Catherine had to keep dragging Thomas down the hall to keep him from listening to the conversation only a few feet away.

"C'mon Thomas, they could use the time alone. Let's go do something. What do you say?"

The colonel had a confused look, "Could it be their son that's coming to apply for a position here?"

Catherine loved her husband very much, but she couldn't understand how an intelligent man like Thomas could be so dense as well. "It looks that way. Do you doubt it's really him?"

He shook his head, "No, it's just been so long since I've seen him. It's hard to believe."

"I remember when Van and Fiona made the decision to let Bit go. I don't know if I could be that brave. I know you cared for her, and it must have hurt you in some way, too." In the back of Catherine's mind, she thought about how she could not have children of her own.

Thomas' bright green eyes looked serious as he spoke his words carefully, "I cared for Fiona at one time, but I also know that Van cares for her more. And nobody could care for you more than I do."

He never stopped amazing her, and she still didn't know how he did it. "Let's go home for a while."

This time, Thomas was the one leading Catherine.


	7. Trip towards Destiny

Brad was usually the only one up at dawn, but this time he was joined by Bit. Naomi walked in soon after Bit and interrupted the two warrior's conversation.

"We can get going whenever you're ready, Brad. Nice seeing you again, Bit." The Red Comet winked and gave him her famous smile. Bit said goodbye, but didn't dare say anything else in front of Brad's watchful ice blue eyes.

"I heard about your invitation to the Guardian Force. I guess I should be congratulating you." Bit appreciated the cup of coffee that Brad offered him.

"I haven't been accepted, yet. Besides, even if I was accepted, it doesn't mean I have to stick around there. I've never been the military type."

"Then, why go?" When Bit didn't answer immediately, Brad added, "Is it because of Leena?"

Bit didn't know what to say, but he had to think of something fast. "It's because of the Berserk Fury."

Brad nearly choked, "What do you mean?"

"Liger and I may have defeated Vega and Fury, but it doesn't mean it's completely over. His Zoid is an Ultimate X, too. It's probably recovering right now and growing stronger. I want to be ready to battle them again, so I thought the Guardian Force could help."

"What can they do?"

"Push me to be the ultimate pilot, and push the Liger to become the ultimate Zoid."

Jamie had talked to Brad about noticing something different with Bit. He hadn't thought of anything at the time to make him think that Bit had changed, but now he did notice something different. Bit didn't seem nearly as cocky as he used to be, and he took his piloting skills seriously. It looked like Bit had finally matured.

"Do what you have to do. At the next Royal Cup, I expect a real challenge."

"You'll get one." Bit and Brad punched hands as Brad got up to join Naomi. Leon walked in and said goodbye to both his former partners.

"I thought you would have left by now. You sounded like you were eager to go, yesterday."

Bit looked at the new leader of the Blitz team. "I gotta ask you a question that's been bugging me, Leon. Why would you push me to do this, and not even go yourself?"

Leon was surprised by his question. "Why does it matter if I don't go?"

"You just want to hear me say that you're a great pilot. You understand the relationship between a Zoid and his pilot, and the limitless potential that the two can have together. Why wouldn't you go?"

Leon couldn't tell Bit that the reason he wasn't going was because of him. He had nothing against Bit, but he knew that he and Leena needed to work out whatever it was that kept them apart. If they were meant to be together, they would find out at the trials

for the Guardian Force.

"There's a lot of work to do around here," Leon finally answered, "I'll be leaving for a while to recruit for the Blitz team. If you and Leena decide to stay away, then it looks like I have a few places to fill."

"I didn't know you were that eager to get rid of me."

"I'm eager to see what you and the Liger Zero can do."

Bit smiled, but wondered, _"What are you really up to, Leon?"_

As Bit and the Liger were walking out of the hangar, they turned to see Leena and her Gun Sniper. "Now there's something I thought I'd never see."

Leena had been working on disarming the Gun Sniper since before dawn. "Very funny, Bit. Whatever Zoid you're bringing should be in it's basic form. You'd know that if you read the rules."

"I did read them, that's why I'm not bringing any of the CAS systems. Here, Doc thought we might need this." He opened the cockpit and threw down a compact disc.

"What's on it?"

"It has the highlights of different battles we've been in and won. It also shows what you did in the Dibison and Gun Sniper. This way, they can see how much ammo you waste."

"Do you want to get going or not?" Leena chose to ignore that comment.

"Fine, I'm leading."

Leena hated the silence between the Liger and the Gun Sniper. She wanted to start a conversation with Bit, but she didn't want it to end up in an argument. Her thoughts ran wild through her mind. She tried to think of topics to discuss, but they all seemed lame. When she thought about it, she really didn't know much about Bit. Many questions formed in her head, but she kept them to herself. Instead, she watched the scenery fade by in her cockpit.

The Liger Zero came to a stop. Leena wasn't paying attention and nearly rammed into it. "What's the problem?"

"I got this funny feeling, kind of like we're being followed." Bit's low tone worried Leena.

"Something would be coming up on radar if we were being followed. Besides, I don't see anything."

The Liger growled and shook his head from side to side. "See? Even Liger thinks something's not right."

"You two better not be doing this just to scare me. Are you being serious?"

Bit didn't answer her. He looked at his environment carefully, trying to pinpoint something out of the ordinary. He felt foolish as he saw nothing out of place.

"I guess it was nothing. Let's pick up the pace, maybe we can get there before dark."

If there was one thing Leena knew about Bit, it was his feelings were very accurate. It's what made him a great pilot. He could practically sense the enemy before anything showed up on radar.

A woman piloting a Stealthy Storm Sworder wasn't surprised by what she saw from above. _"I guess I better leave before you figure out what's got you spooked."_

Angel rolled the Zoid over and started flying in the opposite direction. Her destination was a Whale King left several miles back. She had been following the white Liger and its pilot for quiet some time. She was grateful that Sara's intelligence report had been accurate. It had been a long time since she had been so close to them, but her feelings remained the same. She wanted to take the Liger Zero, and get even with the Guardian Force—no matter what the cost.


	8. Deal with the Devil

Sara was anxious for the Berserk Fury to reawaken, but lately her mind had been preoccupied by other matters. The new alliance she formed with the Ice Daggers to bring down the ZBC took her away from the Zoid. Her chief scientist gave her necessary updates on its condition, but other than that, she didn't know what else was happening.

She didn't even know how much time her son had been spending with the Fury. He would sit on the skywalk above the giant tank and talk to his partner. He would encourage Fury to wake up soon so they could have more great battles. Although the Zoid never replied in the conventional way, Vega felt as though they had a true connection.

He grew tired of talking and was getting ready to go to his room when he heard a woman mumble something to herself as she walked over to a table and sat down.

"I don't understand why I can't come up with a plan. It used to be so easy!" Angel's frustration had been increasing lately.

Vega could here her mumbling about the Guardian Force and Bit Cloud. He stayed out of sight, but wanted to hear more about what was happening.

Sara walked in on Angel and told her to come with her to the conference room. Vega took a different route to get to the room and remained hidden.

Angel couldn't believe her eyes as she looked at three people she hadn't seen in years.

"It's about time you got here, we've been bored waiting." Spence was the first to say something.

Nick and Jaq both made comments about it being a long time, but Angel still didn't say anything.

Sara finally spoke up, "It's good to see the most powerful mercenary unit together again. I feel as if I'm witnessing a historical event."

Angel looked at each member of the Ice Daggers carefully. It looked like time hadn't touched Nick or Jaq. Nick still had steel grey eyes that could make you shudder, and Jaq still looked innocent as ever. Spence's eyes really caught her attention, though. They seemed tired and sad, almost out of place on his face. She turned away from the group and looked at the window trying to catch her reflection. Without her knowing it, the same tired look crept into her eyes.

"What's the matter?" Sara thought it was odd that Angel didn't want to be a part of the group.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about something. By the way, how did you guys get here so quick? Last time I checked, we were about as far apart has four souls could be."

"Like you always said, money is a great motivator. Call me curious, but I want to know why our services are being required now, after all this time?" Nick was ready for action, but he was also cautious about new jobs.

"We have some unfinished business to settle." Angel's smirk returned to her face as her head began to fill with ideas.

Sara noticed something different about Angel as she talked among her peers. Something was returning to her that had been lost for a while. She had heard about the battle between the Ice Daggers and the Guardian Force, and she knew that the Daggers had been easily defeated. Warriors can either grow or regress with each battle. In Angel's case, the separation of the Daggers caused her to lose her warrior spirit. Now that they were reunited, it was slowly returning to her, and to them all.

Vega felt like something big was being planned. It made him excited and worried at the same time. He was also anxious to hear the answer to Nick's question.

"It seems we're picking up where we last left," Angel began to explain to them how she met Sara and what Sara's plans were for the Guardian Force and the Zoids Battle Commission. When she brought up the Liger Zero, the other three stiffened.

"I saw him win the Royal Cup, that arrogant little brat. I say it's time we finished this." Nick was most furious with the GF because he was captured, something that had never happened before.

Sara was confused, "What do you four have against Bit Cloud?"

Nick exchanged glances with the rest of his group and they all slowly realized something. "You don't know, do you? It's common knowledge among us, because we were there. I forget most people don't know."

"Don't know what?" Sara sat down as Spence began to tell her a story.

"I'm sure you heard of the last time we fought the Guardian Force. What you probably didn't know was that we saw the Liger Zero become the Ultimate X it is today."

Sara's eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open. "You _saw_ the Liger become an Ultimate X? That's not possible!"

"Scientists haven't been able to agree on the origins of an Ultimate X. Some say it's the natural evolution of Zoids, that one day they will all have the power of an organoid. Others say they're experiments in forced evolution. I know the Liger Zero has the power of an organoid because we saw Colonel Freiheit's organoid fuse with it." Jaq stared off in the distance as she remembered that stormy day.

"I'm listening." Sara's interest had greatly increased.

"Sixteen years ago, I placed a bounty on the colonel's son in hopes to catch them off guard. Our plan was to take the Liger Zero because of its ability to transform into three Zoids: one for high speed combat, one for close, and the other for stationary defense. Unfortunately, things didn't turn out the way I planned." Angel's voice still held resentment as she told the story. "To save their son, the Freiheit's ordered Zeke, their organoid, to fuse with the Liger. The fusion between the two was unlike anything any of us had ever seen. He instantly gave that Zoid powers that only a seasoned Zoid should have."

"In short, we lost. Nick and Jaq were captured, and we lost trace of the Liger and their son. On that day, we decided to split up so the Guardian Force couldn't capture us. Some time last year, we got a lucky break." Spence remembered the first time he heard about an ivory Zoid with unusual combat talent and a rookie pilot with blonde hair and green eyes.

"It seemed too perfect to be a coincidence. As the battles continued, we came to one conclusion. Bit Cloud must be the son of Van and Fiona Freiheit."

Sara looked down at the ground in disbelief. She took in all the information carefully before speaking, "That makes sense. It would explain why Bit is the only one able to pilot it. A while back, Alteil had stolen the Zoid. Bit came after it, and he was the only one that the Liger didn't eject from the cockpit."

"Let me get this straight, you had the Liger in your possession, but let it escape?" Angel's voice rose in anger.

"I wasn't here at the time. I was with Vega training him to become the best Zoid pilot. I had no idea that Alteil had enough brains to pull off that kind of operation, but he failed. We don't have the Liger, but we can get it back. That's why I need your help..." An odd thought entered Sara's mind as she stood up to face Angel.

"What's wrong?"

"We have an Ultimate X--the Berserk Fury. So that must mean it's powered similarly to the Liger Zero. But whose organoid would be powering it?"

Angel's voice returned to its normal tone, "That sounds like something you need to figure out. I'm only here to accomplish one thing. Like I said before, we tried to get to the Guardian Force through the Freiheit's son. This time, I thought we'd take a different approach."

She looked at Nick and as he nodded his head. He understood something without her even saying what she was thinking. "That won't be a problem."

"Good, that's what I like to hear."

"Would you mind filling me in on your plan?" Sara was aggravated that they planned something and didn't even bother to include her.

"All the pilots," Angel glanced at Sara and clarified herself, "all the legitimately registered pilots that reached a certain level in the Royal Cup Tournament received an invitation to join the Guardian Force. I know very well that Mr. Cloud received one, too. After all, how could Van and Fiona resist?"

"How will we know if he accepted it, though?" Jaq asked a simple but important question.

"I just saw him and a Gunsniper headed in the direction of GF Headquarters. Does that answer your question?"

Jaq smiled and nodded her head.

Sara grew agitated again, "So what's the plan?"

"The assassination of the heads of the Guardian Force. If you weaken the GF, you weaken the power that holds the ZBC together. After that, an assault on the ZBC shouldn't be a problem if they don't have anyone to call in for back-up."

Vega's head was swimming with all the information he just heard. All he wanted was another great battle with Bit, but it was obvious that Sara wanted more. He knew that she'd want him and the Berserk Fury to play a key role in it all. The question he asked himself was, did he want to do it? And something else bothered him as he walked back to Fury. Whose organoid powered his Zoid?


	9. Time Can Do So Much

Van had taken extensive security measures to ease Fiona's mind. It was getting late and he had only seen the arrival of five out of the seven pilots that accepted the invitation. He was bursting with excitement at the idea of seeing his son again, but he knew he had to remain neutral towards Bit, for now.

His last inspection of the new security stopped at his office. He stepped in for a second to see if Fiona was there. He didn't find Fiona, instead he saw a man sitting in his chair.

He relaxed as he saw who it was, "Don't you know it's not polite to enter someone's office without them being there, Raven?"

The man with black hair remained seated as Van approached him. "Don't you think the leader of the Guardian Force should have a better lock that keeps out intruders?"

"Are you telling me our security is lax? I just spent the entire day boosting it!"

"Relax, Freiheit, I'll admit your security is impressive. All you have to do is change the code to your door to something a little less obvious."

"Obvious to you, maybe, but hardly anyone else knows that I even have a son, let-alone his birthday." He softly spoke the words.

Raven nodded his head in agreement, "He should be arriving any time now."

"So my stomach tells me. It's been in knots all day."

Van's former enemy got up and walked over to the far wall where all the pictures hung. There were several pictures of Fiona, of course, and he saw Thomas and Catherine's wedding pictures. Moonbay and Irvine had their share of pictures on the wall, and to his surprise, so did him and Ryss. Sadly, Van couldn't put any pictures of Bit on the wall. Those were kept hidden from everyone.

"You did some redecorating, I see."

"Fiona did. She told me that our strength lies with our allies. Don't you agree?"

"She's always been smarter than you, Van."

Raven turned around in time to catch a small grin on Van's face. He turned his attention back to the wall and picked up a special picture of his favorite two girls. Ryss was in the cockpit of the Genobreaker guiding a beautiful fifteen year old girl with long black hair and piercing blue eyes. Ava and Ryss were the only things that Raven felt was right in his life.

"You've done a lot to atone for your past, Raven." Van knew what was going through his mind every time he looked at those pictures.

"I don't think I've done enough. I don't know if I ever can do enough."

It was a touchy subject for the both of them. Van had spent the earlier part of his piloting career trying to defeat Raven. As they grew up, the fighting continued to a point where Van wondered if it would ever end. When Hiltz threatened the fate of Zi, Van couldn't have asked for a better ally. A few years later, the pilots met again. Raven had begun doing work for the Empire to undo the damages he had caused. They had formed a friendship that hadn't always been easy to maintain.

Van didn't know what to say, but luckily he didn't have to worry about it. Thomas broke up their conversation and announced the arrival of the last two Zoid warriors. He exchanged a quick glance with Raven, and with that, Raven informed them that he was heading home.

"You'll have enough problems without me hanging around, Freiheit." As Raven left, Van could have sworn he heard him mumble, "Good luck."

Fiona was waiting in the Blade Liger's hangar as she saw the Liger Zero and Gunsniper approach. "I can't feel anything, Van. I don't know what to do."

Her husband held her in his arms for a minute as he comforted her, "I know everything's going to be fine now. We have to take things slow, and then maybe some day he'll be ready for the truth."

"I hope that day comes soon, Van. I can't wait too much longer."

The Gunsniper entered first and was instructed to park at the opposite end of the hangar. The Liger was instructed to park next to the blue Blade Liger.

Fiona tried her best to keep tears out of her eyes as she slowly approached the Liger. Zeke went nuts the minute he saw her, and Van raised a hand carefully to tell him to calm down.

Bit looked around confused, "Sorry about that, colonel. Liger might be a little apprehensive about being in a new surrounding."

"That's fine, cadet. It's perfectly understandable in these circumstances." Van was thrilled to see Zeke again, but he knew he had to keep a military manor.

"Hello, Bit Cloud. My name is Fiona Freiheit and I'll be taking care of the Zoids during your stay here. Don't worry; I'm an expert in my field." Her smile seemed so comforting to Bit. He always found it hard to trust other people with the Liger.

Leena joined the group and introduced herself. "We're very excited about this opportunity, colonel. We traveled all day to get here."

"I find your commitment encouraging, Leena Torros. To be a member of the Guardian Force, you'll need to keep a high level of commitment. If you two will follow Colonel Schubaltz and me, we'll lead you to your rooms. Fiona, I'll trust you to stay with the Zoids." Van gave his wife a quick wink and she returned it.

She looked up at the magnificent Liger Zero and let the tears flow freely. When Zeke felt like the coast was clear, he lowered his head toward her and opened his cockpit. She took the invite and entered.

"Zeke! I can't even begin to thank you enough for taking care of our son. I've followed your adventures since the beginning of the Zoid battles, and I'm so proud of you! You really came through for us!"

Fiona desperately wanted to spend time with Bit, but she knew she must fully compose herself; otherwise she'd fall apart in front of him. It was too soon for him to know, but that was hard for her to accept.

Meanwhile, Thomas and Van gave Bit and Leena a tour of the place. They pointed out the different hangars, laboratories, and sleeping quarters. Van also added where his office was located in case they ever needed to talk.

"Any questions?" Thomas thought it looked odd that the two leaders of the Guardian Force were giving the tour, but he knew there was a special reason for it.

"When will we start the training?" Bit didn't even look tired after his long journey. Van was proud of the fact that he was eager to get started.

"Orientation begins at 8 in the morning. There, you'll meet your fellow cadets and learn what's to be expected of you while you're here. The Guardian Force is an elite unit, but we also realize it's going to be a big adjustment for you. Don't worry about making mistakes because everything here is a learning process."

Bit and Leena nodded their heads and the two colonels departed. Van let out a deep sigh as he and Thomas walked away.

"How did I do?"

"You were very professional. I know it's not easy for you, but you just gotta hang in there. Everything will happen when it's supposed, too. Remember that."

Van nodded in agreement and hurried back to the hangars. "There's someone else I've been anxious to see, too."

Bit began unpacking his things and looked around his room. He was surprised to hear a knock at his door, and was even more surprised when he saw Leena standing on the other side.

"Need something?"

Leena all ready felt like he was annoyed with her, but she let it go. "What do you think of this place?"

She came in and sat on his bed as he finished unpacking. "It's nice. For some reason, I was thinking they were going to stick us in some hell-hole."

She laughed and nodded in agreement. "Didn't it seem weird to you that Colonel Freiheit and Colonel Schubaltz gave us the tour, personally?"

"I hadn't given it much thought, but now that you mention it. It is kind of odd. Maybe we're getting special treatment for actually winning the Royal Cup." The same cocky attitude Leena thought he had lost gave another appearance.

"I'll just be glad to get these tests over with. I want to see the full capabilities of my Gunsniper. I only wish we were allowed to keep the configurations."

Bit rolled his eyes at her, "Just wait until they see how much ammo you wasted in that disc I gave them. It ought to be interesting."

"Very funny, Bit. We'll all be evaluated, so don't think you're getting away with anything."

Leena was glad that they were able to have a regular conversation without yelling at each other. She was afraid if she stuck around much longer, it might turn out that way. Still, she liked having the opportunity to talk to him.

As Bit listened to Leena talk, he felt the same thing. He was also glad to have a normal conversation with her. Maybe he would finally learn something about her that he didn't know. From the few minutes they spent together in his room, he all ready knew that she wasn't as invincible as she liked people to think. All this time, it seemed like she wanted someone to reassure her.

Van couldn't find Fiona anywhere in the hangar. All of a sudden, he looked up at the Liger Zero. The Zoid laid his head down and popped open the cockpit. Fiona sat there with a huge smile on her face.

"It's good to see you again, buddy. We've missed you both terribly. Thanks for all you've done." Van leaned over the cockpit and looked inside. It had been years, yet everything came back to him fine. They stayed the night in the hangar just talking. All three of them like it was sixteen years ago.


	10. Practice and Perfection

Irvine had volunteered to come off of his vacation to be there for Fiona and Van when their son came back home. Moonbay had always found jobs as a transporter wherever the Guardian Force sent her husband. It wasn't hard for her to leave and join him to see Bit again. She was just thinking about the call from Fiona that first informed them of Bit's return.

"It seems odd to hear those words from Fiona. I honestly thought they wouldn't see Bit again. What are you thinking, Irvine?"

Irvine looked over at his wife as she drove the Gustav towards the base, "I'm wondering what he'll be like. If he's anything like Van, then we're going to have our hands full. Maybe he took after Fiona. He's a lucky kid, either way."

Moonbay smiled as she thought of the time that her and Bit spent together when he was younger. She suddenly felt the urge to cry, but held it back thinking it was silly. "He really is one lucky kid."

An hour before orientation began, the purple Gustav rolled through security checks at headquarters. Irvine looked up startled when Moonbay gasped.

"What's the matter? What did you see?"

She said nothing as she pointed to the white Zoid in front of her.

Irvine was taken aback, even though he knew Bit and the Liger Zero were here, it was still hard to believe.

Van and Fiona came from behind them and spoke up, "He's as great as ever, don't you think? Anyway, we have to get going. The meeting will start soon."

All four friends walked into the briefing room as the new cadets began taking seats. The last ones to enter were Bit and Leena.

Thomas was all ready there and began the orientation. Fiona tried not to stare at her son, so she focused her mind on other things. Moonbay and Irvine were amazed that they were sitting across from Van's estranged son.

The presentation came to a conclusion, and both colonels took questions. One caught them off guard.

Bit raised his hand, "There's a particular opponent I fought that I'm worried about. Do you have any information on the Berserk Fury?"

Van let Fiona answer the question, "The Berserk Fury is an unusual Zoid, similar to your Liger Zero."

"How's that?"

"We believe its source of power comes from a 'black box', like one that you can find in the Liger."

The other cadets began to whisper among one another. Thomas caught part of their conversations and ordered silence. Whenever an officer was speaking, no one else should be talking. The answers they needed were being given in this briefing.

Fiona got up and activated a screen on the right side of the room. She scrolled through Zoid profiles until she came to the Liger Zero. An internal view of the Zoid rotated on screen as she spoke.

"This is what I'm talking about," she pointed to the box in the heart of the Zoid as the others looked on, "when I say 'black box'. We've only seen this in the Ultimate X, so it would be safe to assume the Berserk Fury, another Ultimate X, would have the same characteristics. It also means that Zoid should be able to learn from its mistakes and evolve into a stronger one."

Bit looked worried as he stared at the screen. Fiona resisted the urge to comfort him, even though it went against all her instincts.

Van stepped in when he looked at Fiona's face, "We're here to make all of you and your Zoids stronger. The stronger the enemy, the stronger you become. Shall we begin?"

The new recruits prepared their Zoids, as both colonels and Irvine did the same. The battery of tests would first be performed by Van, Thomas, or Irvine. Then the recruits would perform the test. These were all just initial diagnostics to see where everyone stood. The process went on for hours.

In the distance, a man looked carefully at the trainees. "Here's a surprise kids, are you ready?"

The Blade Liger, Lightning Saix, and Dibison left the trainees alone when they were given the signal. The Genobreaker flew down from the mountain towards base as security tightened. Steel walls were raised and alarms were sounded as the assault began.

Bit's warrior instincts immediately kicked in, "Leena, get back! You need to get in a position where you can best use the Gunsniper!"

Leena hesitated for a minute, but began to run in the direction from where the Genobreaker came. When she made it to the base of the mountain, the Genobreaker set its sights on her. Bit tried to stand in-between Leena and the assailant. Meanwhile, the other Zoids tried surrounding the enemy.

One Zoid after another fell to the superior warrior. Bit was getting tired and frustrated. When one person attacked, he would sneak up behind the enemy and try to use his strike laser claw. It never worked. Everywhere he turned, the Genobreaker was ready for him.

Leena was having trouble with the sniper mode. She couldn't control the weapon and missed every shot.

Suddenly, before Bit was taken out, the blue Blade Liger stepped in front of him. Thomas and Irvine closed in on the other side. Their teamwork was flawless and their strategy worked.

Bit looked on with intense interest. Leena was amazed at their speed and accuracy. They never missed a shot. The other recruits were on the ground watching the same thing. Since their command systems were frozen, they could only lie there.

The battle ended as quickly as it began. Moonbay and Fiona made their way to the battleground in the Gustav. They went to each Zoid and reactivated their command systems. All pilots exited their Zoids and surrounded the colonels.

"Okay, Raven, you need to be down here, too." Nobody said a word as the black-haired pilot exited the Genobreaker.

"For those of you don't know, this is Raven. He's the best pilot the Empire had, and now he freelances for the Guardian Force. The last test you experienced was called, 'The Gauntlet'. It is a requirement for all cadets to pass in order to become members of the GF. Lately, we haven't had anybody pass this test, and that's when we decided to send out invitations to the Royal Cup participants. We were hoping that with your battle experience, passing this test would be easier. I'd like to start by critiquing each one of you about what was good and bad about your performance."

"Ms. Torros, how do you feel you did?" Raven singled her out first, but his tone was very gentle.

"It's not a fair evaluation of my capabilities." She was aggravated at herself for not being able to hit the target.

"Upon reviewing your piloting disc, we noticed you had a distinct style of fighting. You never actually use the sniper mode. Why is that?"

She didn't have an answer, "I never thought about it, I guess."

"We're not here to pick on you," Van noticed she was flustered, "We just want to see you reach your full potential."

_"There's that saying again. I remember Leon talking about full potential with Bit and the Liger Zero."_

"The Gunsniper has a very specific purpose. It's used for long distance battle to 'snipe' at the enemy. I admire the fact that you want to use the Zoid in more versatile ways, but it's important to learn the basic functions first."

Van talked to the whole group about the relationship between them and their Zoids. He pointed out that it was important to work as a team and remain focused on the task ahead of them. Then, he looked over at Bit.

"Mr. Cloud," Bit snapped out of his daze, "what did you feel when you were attacking the Genobreaker?"

He thought about his response for a minute, "I was frustrated. I didn't even see him coming on radar, and then all of a sudden he's pounding Zoid after Zoid. I couldn't get to him no matter what I did."

Van had trouble finding the right words to say as a colonel. His thoughts were on being a father. Raven noticed this and took over.

"That's understandable. It is frustrating not being able to defeat your opponent. You and Leena work well together. It's to be expected since you were on the same team. Now we just have to work on getting all seven of you to work together if you want to be members of the Guardian Force."

Above the clouds, a Whale King hovered over the base. Angel came up behind Nick, who was staring out the window.

"Are you prepared?"

"Of course I am. When does everything go down?"

"Sara knows of a secure location where we can land west of the base. It shouldn't be too long afterwards."

Nick nodded his head and continued to stare out the window; this time with a smile on his face.


	11. The Inevitable

Vega still spent time with the Fury, but his conversations were much different.

"Take your time. We have all the time in the world. There's no need for you to rush." Vega rubbed his head in exhaustion. He hadn't slept since he heard the conversation between Sara and the Daggers. He was torn between his loyalties and his dream to fight great battles.

Major Palta stepped into the room. "What are you doing, Vega?"

Without even looking up, he replied, "Nothing."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Do you think I care?"

Palta was impressed. Vega was an excellent pilot, but he always acted like a little kid. Since his Zoid fell to the Liger Zero, Vega matured, although Palta still couldn't figure out something.

"Do you even want a rematch with the Liger?"

Vega was shocked by the question, "Why do you ask?"

"You know what's happening with the Backdraft, that's why we made an alliance with the Ice Daggers. Is that a problem with you?"

If there was one thing Palta was good at, it was reading people. He knew Vega wanted to fight in battles, but he didn't want to take down the whole ZBC. He also knew Vega couldn't tell Sara anything.

"I'll do what I need to do." Vega didn't go into detail as to what exactly he would do. Would he follow his mother's lead?

When Palta finally left the room, Vega continued talking to his Zoid, "Tell me what to do, Fury. I don't know what to do."

The Zoid's eyes flashed a crimson red and seemed to grow bigger. Vega's tired eyes were wide open when he saw the water in the tank bubble and overflow. A technician ran into the room when he heard the alarm blaring. He punched a button that drained the water out of the tank.

Sara ran into the room along with the chief scientist. The tech and scientist hustled to the computer that was busy printing out reports and statistics. Spence walked in with the rest of his group and stood by the door.

"Vega, tell me what happened!" Sara looked at him as if what was happening was his fault.

He shook his head vigorously from side to side, "He started acting up a few minutes ago. Then the tech came in, and then you came."

"Sara! You need to see this!"

The scientist handed her the printouts on the Berserk Fury. She dropped them the minute she heard Spence exclaim, "What the hell is doing!"

The Fury shattered the tank surrounding it and began to lash out at everybody. An emergency landing had to be made before the Fury tore apart the Whale King.

Without hesitation, Vega took off after his renegade Zoid. "FURY! Wait!"

When he first broke the tank, Vega could feel vast amounts of energy and anger. It worried him as he confronted the evolved Zoid.

Just outside the Whale King, everybody looked at the two partners. Spence asked Sara a question, "Why is he _red_?"

Sara conferred with the scientist and the technician. They each went over the statistics from the lab. "I have no idea. But I do know that this is a much stronger Zoid than we had before."

Angel finally seemed to take an interest in what was happening. Nick left the group and took a walk around. Jaq took the papers away from Sara and examined them for herself. "She's right. The stats are unlike anything I've ever seen."

"Does this mean Lady Luck finally grants us a favor?" Angel looked over at Spence.

"It could, Angel."

Spence walked cautiously towards Vega and the new Fury.

"Stop it, Fury! It's me, Vega." He spoke sternly to his partner.

The Zoid finally calmed down enough to look at the young man.

"Good. Now, we have to get you back to the Whale King. You need to get into a hangar before the Guardian Force detects you, if it's not too late."

At the name of the Guardian Force, the Berserk Fury stopped following its pilot. Vega turned around slowly to see why he stopped. Everybody held their breath in anticipation.

"Not now. We can't afford for you to be detected. Do you understand?"

Vega's plead was heard and the Zoid quickly powered down. Out of curiosity, Vega wanted to see what kind of new powers were being withheld. Out of fear of the GF, he knew he better wait.

The Backdraft group wasn't the only ones having trouble that night. Bit woke up from a vicious nightmare. He wiped away the sweat from his face, and went into the bathroom. He was drenched in sweat and felt completely exhausted, yet he wasn't sleepy anymore. It was two in the morning. Bit hopped in the shower and changed clothes. Maybe a walk around the base would help him get back to sleep.

Everything was quiet around the sleeping quarters. Leena was probably asleep and he didn't dare wake her. He felt the urge to talk to someone, and then he remembered what Van said. Anytime he needed to talk, he would be available.

"_I doubt he'd be up this early in the morning. I'd probably get yelled at if I woke him."_ He finally realized who he could talk to – the Liger Zero.

The walk to the hangars led him to the one person he didn't expect to see. Fiona seemed to be talking to the Liger Zero. Bit didn't say a word, but stood in the shadows listening. He couldn't make out what she was saying, because she wasn't saying anything. She was humming.

He walked slowly towards her until he made out the tune. It sounded so familiar, but he couldn't place where he had heard it. She stopped humming and started singing.

"_I am a transporter, of the wasteland. I'm just singing and making it up as I go along…" _Bit's mind raced with different possibilities. He knew that song from somewhere.

Fiona noticed the Liger's eyes glow. She whirled around to see Bit standing in the background.

"Oh, it's you Bit. You really startled me."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to disturb you. I couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd have a talk with my partner. I know it sounds weird."

"Not at all. I couldn't sleep myself. What made you get up?"

"I had this nightmare. I can't really describe it though; it was just more like an evil feeling."

Fiona stood astounded. She woke up from a nightmare, too. In her dream, Bit was fighting an enemy in the Liger Zero. He was loosing badly as the Liger was being torn apart. Fiona never saw the enemy. All she could see were flashes of red appearing and disappearing.

Bit noticed the look in Fiona's eyes. "What's the matter?"

She shook away the memory and told him that everything was fine.

"Do you mind if I ask what made you come down here?"

Fiona decided it would be a bad idea to tell him that she feared for his safety. "There's a lot of work to be done, and so little time. You still have more tests to go through, and the Liger must be in top condition to pass them all."

Her uneasy smile made Bit wonder. He didn't see any mechanical equipment around. What was she really doing with the Liger? And why was the Liger so easygoing around her and Van?

"You're right. I should be getting some sleep now. I'm sure Colonel Freiheit wouldn't appreciate me being late today."

"You'll be fine, Bit."

She watched him walk away and the memory of Moonbay taking him in the Gustav suddenly came back to her. Zeke looked out the open hangar door. His growl got Fiona's attention.

"I sense it too, Zeke. And I think in some way, Bit sensed the same thing."


	12. Hope

"We have a lot of work to do if we want to make sure no one detected the new Berserk Fury. Palta, I want a team of three Helcats to survey the area around us. Keep in constant communication. We have enough Zoids for everyone to evacuate the Whale King. We have a security system that will conceal the King and allow it to remain undetected. It should give us enough time to set up at the new base."

Sara took Angel aside, "How is your end of the deal coming?"

Angel glanced up at the rising sun, "We'll be able to strike tonight. According to your sources, they're having a night battle simulation. I'll go with Nick to assist."

"Good, then it looks like nothing's changed."

Bit was puzzled as he made the walk back to his room. Something bothered him about Van and Fiona, not only them, but Thomas, Irvine, and even Moonbay. They were excellent instructors and knew exactly what they were doing, but he felt like he knew them somehow. The feeling was becoming more intense.

As he approached his room, he noticed that Leena's door was cracked. He knocked, but heard no answer. He pushed the door gently and peered inside. Leena was sitting on the edge of her bed facing the window.

"You're up early."

She didn't give him a response. Bit noticed that she was still in her pajamas and her hair was pulled back in ponytail. He never saw her like that; she looked like a completely different person.

He walked up behind her and laid his hand on her shoulder. She turned around fast and pushed him aside.

"Sorry! You weren't answering, and you left your door open. I was making sure nothing was wrong…" Leena's face was white and she had a blank look in her eyes.

"Leena, what's the matter?"

She seemed to snap back to reality when she finally looked at Bit in his face. "Nothing, I was just thinking about something."

"And that's what's making you a nervous wreck?"

She rolled her eyes at him, "You know it's not easy right now. I feel like everything I do here is not right. I don't know how to pilot my Gunsniper, I'm not making as much progress as the others, and everything is just really stressful right now."

"Leena, you're doing fine. Why would you think those things?"

Bit was being very comforting, which took Leena by surprise. "Who was the first person to be jumped on when we began training?"

"They're just trying to point out what we can do differently, that's all. You need to relax because you don't look too good."

"Thanks a lot, Bit." Her sarcasm didn't seem to get through to him.

"I'm being serious. Sit down and I'll get you something to drink."

"_Something must be wrong; Bit's never acted this nice. It is a good change, though."_

"What are you doing up so early, Bit?"

"I couldn't sleep. I had this weird dream earlier. It's no big deal."

Leena raised her hand and touched Bit's face, "It must be something. You have dark circles under your eyes."

Bit handed her the glass of water. He took her hand away from his face and held it for a moment. "You know I've always had respect for you as a pilot, and a friend."

Her eyes widened as she heard him call her, "a friend". Bit had never said anything like that before. He seemed very sincere.

"I never apologized for being so rude to you. There were a lot of stupid little things I jumped on you for."

They never took their eyes off of each other. Bit wasn't sure what he was feeling, and he was scared to tell Leena anything. Leena understood her feelings for him, but held back.

"There's no reason to apologize. I know I was a jerk."

She started to smile because she was actually having a conversation with Bit that didn't involve yelling and fighting. Bit asked her what made her smile all of a sudden, and she just shook her head.

"Hey, Bit."

"Yeah?"

"Promise me that we'll get through this together. We'll make it through whatever obstacles may be ahead of us."

"I promise."

Before he realized what he was doing, he bent down towards her and kissed her gently on top of her head. Leena just sat there, dazed as to what was happening. He finally let go of her hand and left her room.

_"Maybe there's hope for us after all, Bit Cloud." _Leena could barely contain her enthusiasm.

Fiona stayed in the hangar with the Liger Zero. She stood silently by Zeke as she watched the sun break through in the distance. Many things were in her thoughts as she stood there. Mostly, she thought of Bit. The idea of telling him she was his mother ran over and over in her head. She yawned, finally aware what a night without sleeping was doing to her.

Out of habit, she headed towards Van's office. Usually, she would finish work on the Zoids and head there to update reports. This time, she noticed someone else in the office.

"I don't even think I have to ask what you're doing up, Van."

"I woke up and didn't see you in bed. You had me worried at first, but then I realized where you were."

She sat on the edge of his desk facing him in his chair. "He came to me this morning."

"What did he say?"

"He told me that a nightmare woke him up, so he took a walk to clear his head. It must have been some dream because his face had such a gruff appearance to it. We talked for a while. It was nice."

Van realized this was the first time since Bit arrived that Fiona had a moment alone with him. "I'm glad. I haven't seen you really happy in a long time."

He took her hand and kissed the top of it. She took her other hand and ran her fingers through his hair.

"He senses things, like I do."

"How do you know that?"

"I was humming Moonbay's transporter song, and it caught his attention. When I turned around to look at him, he looked like he remembered something."

"Fiona, I don't want to sound like a dream wrecker, but that's a pretty far stretch."

"Say what you want, but I know he feels _something_. I want to say that we probably had similar dreams."

"Honey…"

"Van, listen to me. Ryss said that Ava has strong feelings, similar to what Ancient Zoidians have. It's possible that Bit has the same thing."

He couldn't argue with genetics. Bit does have the blood of an Ancient Zoidian in him. "It makes sense. He can detect things on the battlefield faster than radar can."

"You just have to believe, Van."

Her smile was so warm and inviting. He kissed her with these words, "I believe with all my heart."


	13. Night Risk

The morning meeting was kept short. All the trainees had been informed that a battle simulation was scheduled for tonight at midnight. The objective was to stop invading enemies from attacking headquarters. Van, Irvine, Thomas, and Raven would be the enemies, and the trainees would have to stop them.

"Keep these things in mind when coming up with a strategy: know the strengths and weaknesses of your enemy, know your own strengths and weaknesses, and decide who's in charge. We're not going to help you with anything because this is a test. In fact, we'll leave you alone here to discuss things. After you're done, I want you all to get some rest."

Van was pleased to see that as soon as he left the room, the group came together in a deep discussion.

"Are they ready for this?" Raven was pleased with their progress, but taking on veterans in assault Zoids was not going to be easy.

"I need to see if they can come together as a team. This is nothing compared to the Gauntlet where you're not holding back. They should be fine."

While the Guardian Force was preparing for a simulation, the Backdraft Group was preparing for the real thing.

Vega was trying to hide his anxiety during the meeting by just staring blankly at the wall.

Angel began, "This is what we know from our surveillance. Van and his colleagues will be training the cadets, while Fiona will be somewhere watching them. I'd be willing to bet she'll be in the guard tower. It has the safest view of the field. Nick and I will take a Helcat to that location and wait for the right moment."

"Isn't Fiona usually with Van?" Jaq asked a valid question.

"Tonight's a major test for the cadets. Someone will need to be watching how they react to a battle situation from outside of a Zoid. At least, that's what seems most logical."

Sara asked one question, "Will you be able to take out Colonel Freiheit, as well?"

Nick spoke up, "This is roughly how it should go down. Fiona will be an easy target, because she won't be in a Zoid, hopefully. I'll take her out when I know Van's paying the most attention. I want him to see what happens. It should cause him to exit his Zoid and run to her. Then, he's next and chaos ensues."

His steel gray eyes rested on Vega. As coldly as he could, Vega returned the stare. This impressed Nick.

Palta wanted to know if they were only going to take one Zoid. Angel explained that it was crucial to remain as undetected as possible. Spence added that the real battle was still ahead. Sara liked that idea very much.

"A long time ago, we were defeated as if we were a bunch of amateurs. I'm more than ready for a rematch." Spence cracked his knuckles as he spoke.

"The Zoids Battle Commission will fall easily after the leaders of the GF are dead." Sara looked over at her son and smiled. He returned the smile, but thought differently.

"_Why do we have to do that? Why can't I just fight battles without the pressure of destroying people's lives? But, it doesn't matter what I want, I think the Fury wants this, too."_

Leena could feel the butterflies in her stomach, but she had a job to do and people depended on her. She would stay on top of the mountain and signal the others when the "enemies" first made an appearance.

Bit looked at the Gunsniper from below. He was confident she would do better this time because of all the extra training she received in sniper mode. He also looked up at the guard tower. Fiona was there looking at everybody's placement.

The Liger Zero and a Shield Liger were guarding the west side of the base. A Command Wolf and Shadow Fox covered the North. One Rev Raptor secured the east, and the south was covered by a Zaber Fang.

An hour passed and nothing happened. Angel and Nick took the time to study the layout of the base.

"Looks you nailed it. Fiona is in my sights. I'm just waiting for their play time to get started."

Something bothered Van as his group finally made their way back to base. He let it go and concentrated on the task.

"We'll hit them from all directions. Let's see what they can do."

In a flash, four Zoids appeared on Leena's radar. She radioed the heads up to everyone else as they stood guard. Bit could hear what sounded like thunder in the distance. He was ready to move out, but the Liger hesitated.

"C'mon partner, we don't have time for this! Let's go!"

The Lightning Saix took on both the Liger Zero and the Shield Liger. Irvine was surprised how quickly Bit counterattacked. The other pilot worked well with Bit and seemed to improve his performance.

Van thought their strategy was well planned, but it did have its flaws. He also had to concentrate on fighting while thinking of ways they could improve.

The one person that worried Leena was Raven and his Genobreaker. She lost track of him shortly after he appeared on radar. _"Where did he go? A Zoid that size can't disappear too easily." _Something from the side caught her eye and she turned around to see. The only thing there was a small hill range. A misguided missile kicked up the dirt on the hill and she thought she saw something again. She wanted to investigate, but her Gunsniper alerted her to an enemy approaching.

"Van's on the other side of the base. From there, he won't be able to see what happens. What do you want to do?"

Angel looked over at Nick and without hesitation, she replied, "Take the shot. Let's see what happens."

Bit felt like he was getting the upper hand when the Liger Zero stopped all of a sudden. "What are you doing, Liger? We almost had him!"

In the time that it took the Liger to turn around, Bit could hear a rifle shot. His heart froze for a moment when he saw who was hit. He zoomed in on the guard tower, but couldn't find Fiona anywhere.

The Liger immediately leapt onto the wall near the tower, without Bit even touching the controls. He popped open the cockpit and hopped inside.

"Fiona! Can you hear me? Say something!" Bit tried to see where the bullet wound was to stop the bleeding. His hands were immediately soaked in blood when he laid them down on her chest.

"Please hang on, Fiona. I'll get you some help!" He was terrified as he looked at Fiona struggling to breathe.

"What's going on? Where did that shot come from?" Irvine was panicking as he looked for the assailant. Raven ordered an immediate halt to the simulation. Thomas had all ready ordered Beak to do a survey of the area. Van had to struggle with himself to make the Blade Liger move.

"Angel, they're going to find us. We need to move out now!" Nick was ready to load his rifle back into the Helcat.

"Wait, take one more shot. This will make the message loud and clear to Van."

In another flash, Nick's bullet found its target and hit Bit from behind. He fell on top of Fiona who was trying to say something.

"Bit, stay with me. Don't leave me, again." Fiona couldn't say another word.

Bit could feel his flesh tearing around his left shoulder. He wasn't sure if he had heard her right, but he thought she said, "Again."

"Again? Why would you say, again?" Bit could feel his breathing slowing down. He tried to reach the wound in his back with his bloody hands. In that instant, something flashed through his mind.

He was in a baby's room, and as he looked at the baby, he recognized himself. He was crying all alone in the dark. When he looked up, he saw Fiona gathering him in her arms.

_"Why is she here? What is this place?" _Bit thought he must be dreaming, but everything was so familiar.

Fiona sat down in a rocking chair and began rocking him back to sleep. Van appeared in the doorway and walked towards them. He knelt down beside them and listed to Fiona singing something. Bit leaned down to try to hear the song better. It was the same song he heard her singing in the Zoids' hanger.

_"I am a transporter, of the wasteland. I'm just singing and making it up as I go along…" _

Bit's eyes flashed back open. He was back in the tower with Fiona, who still wasn't moving.

"What is going on?" Bit asked the question, not thinking anyone else was around to hear it.

Van told him everything was gong to be fine. Irvine and Thomas were there and they were going to help take them to the hospital.

He was shaking as he spoke these words, "Can you hear me, Fiona? You're going to be fine, just stay with me!"

The last thing Bit remembered saying was, "Van, are you my father?"

Van cried as he looked at his immobile wife and son surrounded by blood.


	14. Two Reasons to Live

Raven ordered the cadets to head back to their quarters. He tried answering their questions as best as he could, but he wasn't sure what just happened.

He noticed that Leena had no expression in her eyes, "Are you going to be okay?"

She shook her head, "I need to see, Bit."

"I don't know how possible that's going to be right now. The paramedics said they'll have to go into surgery first. Fiona is in more serious condition than Bit, but he did lose a lot of blood."

She repeated herself, "I need to see, Bit."

"I'll take you. Get your Zoid back to the hangar and meet me outside."

Sick Bay looked normal and peaceful on the outside as the two approached the entrance. Inside, however, was anything but peaceful.

Leena followed Raven to the emergency room and took a seat like she was told. The surgeons were talking to Van when Raven came up to him.

"How's surgery going?"

Thomas came from the lobby with two cups of coffee. He heard Raven's question and answered it, "Both are having complications. Nobody is really telling us anything else."

Irvine took the cup that was offered to him and spoke up, "Van can't hear you. He hasn't said a word since we got here. The nurse said it's post traumatic shock and to give him some time; like it took a professional to tell us that."

"Then, she's going through the same thing." Raven pointed to Leena who sat as still as a statue.

He sat down next to her and searched for something to say. Scenes like this were common to Raven; in fact, he was the one that usually caused them. He never really thought about what he was doing then, but now, he thought about every village and base in great detail. Many people died because of his actions and he wondered how the families managed to survive.

Every time he thought he had something of value to say, he'd realize how trivial it sounded. Ryss and Ava entered his mind many times until he finally had the energy to call them and let them know what happened. It came as no surprise when Ryss told him she all ready knew. After all these years, Raven was still amazed at how Ancient Zoidians sensed these things.

Thomas and Irvine's wives finally made it to the hospital. Moonbay felt terrible not being there with Fiona. She was invited to oversee the test with her, but declined because she just wanted to stay in bed.

"I let her down." Irvine wrapped his arm around her shoulders and leaned her down on his chest.

"You know Fiona wouldn't blame you for anything, so don't you dare start that."

"But look at Van. How am I supposed to feel?" She nearly choked on the words.

Catherine noticed the angry look in Thomas' eyes. "What's wrong, honey?"

He looked over at the person sitting diagonally from him, "Nothing."

She whispered softly, but sternly, "There's too much hate in this world now. Please don't add to it." Her words hit him hard, and Thomas shook away the angry thoughts.

Raven knew Thomas' problem. A long time ago, he encountered the same kind of situation. Only, Thomas was the one lying in the hospital bed, unsure if he'd make it or not. Deep down, Raven knew he wasn't forgiven for the day he came back with his Genosaur. The only person that truly accepted him was sitting in a chair by himself away from everyone else.

_"It'd probably be best if I left." _He started to get up when he felt a hand touch his arm.

"You pushed me so hard with practices every day. I meant to thank you. I never felt more prepared for battle then I did tonight."

It was an unusual time for thank-you's, but it was appreciated. Raven decided to stay there for her sake, at least.

The sun may have been rising outside, but around Van, there was nothing but darkness. His mind was stuck in a loop, starting when Irvine reported the shots, to the time the doctor said, "Be prepared."

What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to "prepare"? Fiona shouldn't be the one suffering right now. Bit shouldn't have to suffer, either. He was doing just fine until he accepted the invitation to the Guardian Force.

Van began slamming his fist on top of his leg. Everybody had remained silent for so long, that the noise seemed earth shattering. It took both Thomas and Irvine to stop Van from hitting himself. Moonbay tried to get him to talk to her, but he wouldn't even look her in the eyes. Catherine left to get a nurse.

Leena looked at Van with heartbreaking eyes. He had given everything he could to the world to ensure peace, yet this was how he was repaid. It didn't seem fair at all.

Catherine followed a nurse back to Van and the others. She was preparing a sedative shot when the surgeon came back to talk to her. They whispered for a minute, and she left the waiting room again.

"Colonel Freiheit, both Fiona and Bit have been moved to recovery rooms. As for your wife, the bullet entered through her back and exited through her chest. It managed to miss the spine and the heart, but she did lose a lot of blood. There is minimal brain activity at this point, due to the lack of oxygen. She could end up brain dead. I'm so sorry."

Van still didn't say anything. Moonbay spoke up for him, "What about Bit Cloud?"

This instantly got Leena's attention. "We managed to retrieve the bullet from his shoulder, but he's in a comatose like state right now. Either he slips into a coma for who knows how long, or he could lose the use of his left arm." With that, he left the room.

"I don't believe this. How's Van supposed to handle this type of news in the state he's in?" Irvine wanted greatly to take his frustrations out on someone.

To everyone's amazement, Van got up and walked over to Leena, who was just as dumbfounded. Raven gave up his seat for him, and Van spoke for the first time that morning.

"I'm going to see my wife now. I want you to be there for my son." Leena couldn't believe what she heard. Van had a son? Could he be talking about Bit?

She nodded her head like she completely understood and followed him to their rooms. She sat down next to Bit's bed and touched his injured arm.

"This is the second time I've gotten to talk to you without us getting into an argument," she tried to smile, "but I'd argue with you day and night if that meant you'd get this through ordeal. I've never been the kind of person that could easily share their feelings, but I need to tell you this now."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She knew that there was no going back once she said what she wanted. "No matter what I've said, or how I've acted towards you, I've always loved you. I would have never done this had you not been here with me. Listen Bit, I can't do it without you now. I need you, and your parents need you. Don't ask me to explain, but the people in the next room call you their son. There are a lot of things you need to know about, but you'll never know unless you open your eyes."

At this point, Leena found it hard to keep speaking. She laid her head down on his bed and rested for a minute.

Meanwhile, the other room was just as tense. Van spent a few minutes pacing back and forth. He wanted to tell Fiona what Bit had asked him, but he didn't even know if she could hear him. Listening to the heart monitor beat slowly and the life support machine breathing for her was tearing at his soul. He decided to talk to her, to break the monotony of the machines.

"You were right about Bit, sweetheart. Then again, you're always right. Just out of the blue, he asked me if I was his father. I understand now what you said to me in my office a couple of days ago. He does know something, but I'm not sure what he knows. Fiona, I believed, just like you asked me, too. We're so close to becoming a family like we once were, so you can't leave now. There's a lot we have to learn about him, and I'm sure there's a lot he wants to know about us. I can't do this by myself. The only time I've ever felt like I accomplished something was because you were with me."

He wouldn't allow himself to cry because he needed to remain strong for her. He hoped that the idea of them being a family again was enough to keep Fiona in the living world.

The members of the Ice Daggers came to his mind as he sat there staring at his unconscious wife. _"They're back. It has to be them. This time, we'll finish it."_


	15. Moments Before the End

"Looks like you altered the plans." Spence was waiting to see what Angel had in mind.

"Opportunity knocked and we answered. This will work just as well. We need to get the Zoids ready for battle."

"I like this. Two people have been fatally injured, so there's no way they could be prepared for battle." Sara was a step ahead of Angel and all ready gave the order to prepare for battle.

"Oh, I'm sure they'll be more than prepared for battle, but I doubt they're prepared to see anything like the Berserk Fury." Palta knew they could rely on the Zoid's new power, but the one he doubted was Vega.

"Van will know we're close by because this job has our style written all over it. We'll meet them half way when they come for us." Angel was excited because the day of revenge was finally coming.

While everybody was preparing their Zoid for battle, Vega sat in the cockpit of the Fury for the first time since he awakened. He began talking to him like he had done many times. His conversation was interrupted when Palta came up to the Fury's cockpit.

"I'm surprised to see you here so quickly."

"I was told to get the Fury ready for battle. I'm just waiting for everyone else."

Palta's gut instincts didn't believe what Vega said. _"What will you do, Vega? Stay and fight, or desert us?"_

Van and Leena were thinking along the same lines as they looked at the people they loved suffering in the hospital. Would they leave them, or would they be able to pull through?

As a warrior, Van felt the urge to do something, but he didn't know what. He left the room to talk to his friends.

"I think it's safe to say we'll be heading into battle soon." Van looked around the waiting room as everyone nodded in agreement. "Anybody got any news for me?'

Moonbay hated to say what she knew, but she had too, "Bit's parents were informed what happened and they should be here soon."

It took him a minute to process what she was saying, "Yes, of course. They have every right to be here. I just don't know what I'll say to them."

"Let me tell talk to them. I know Ivan and Erica, so it might be easier for me to explain everything." Even though it might be difficult, Moonbay knew it was time to tell them the truth.

Van left again to check on Bit and Leena. She told him there was still no change in his condition. "I've been talking to him, trying to bring him back to us, but he still won't open his eyes."

"Thank you, Leena. He needs someone familiar that cares about him by his side." She was surprised that Colonel Freiheit had concluded that she had feelings for Bit, but when she thought about it, nobody could deny she loved him.

When Van left the room, Leena thought she heard a murmur. She looked at Bit who still had his eyes closed, but she heard the noise again. "Bit, can you hear me? Look at me."

Bit had to struggle to open his eyes, but when he saw Leena standing over him, he was glad he did. "Hey." It was weak, but it was better than nothing.

Leena's face lit up the room more than the sunlight. "Thank, God! You had everyone so worried, Bit. I was so scared when the doctors said…"

He interrupted her, "I'm glad to see you're here."

"I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. You're probably wondering what happened."

"No, I remember what happened well. Did Fiona make it?"

"She's stable for now and she's recovering in the room next to us. The doctors say it could go either way and told Van to be prepared. I've never seen anyone look so devastated."

Bit hated to hear that because Fiona was so caring towards him. She was a good woman and Van was a good man, but he had to know if they were who he thought, "Has Van said anything to you since you got here?"

"He only told me to stay with his son while he stayed with his wife." Leena let the news sink in before speaking again, "I don't understand how that's possible, but I know Van cares for you. It'd be good for you two to talk, when you feel like it."

There was a problem with that. Bit didn't know whether or not he felt like it. How could Van and Fiona be his parents when he was raised by Ivan and Erica? What was the real story?

"I don't really feel like talking to him."

"Aren't you curious to find out what's going on?"

"Not really."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Bit had the opportunity to find out about himself, yet he didn't want too. "I never told you anything about my mom. Did Leon ever mention her to you?"

He shook his head.

"I don't really remember her. I can picture her in my mind, but that's about it. Leon told me some stories that he remembered, and so did Dad. It can't replace the fact I don't have my own memories of her."

Bit didn't say a word as he just sat there staring at the ceiling. Leena continued, "Don't pass this by so casually. The least you could do is listen to what he has to say."

All the information was overwhelming him. He grew up knowing two people were his parents and now he finds out the leaders of the Guardian Force are his parents. He won the Royal Cup Tournament, was invited to train with the GF, and now he was lying in a hospital bed unable to move his left arm.

A nurse came in and was excited to see Bit awake. She tried lifting his left arm but he shook his head. She smiled at him and told him the doctor would be in to talk to him. Leena knew what he was going to say.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"I'm guessing you all ready know what he's going to say, so you can go out and wait if you want."

Outside, Leena caught up with Moonbay and told her how he was doing. Moonbay and the rest of the group were glad to hear that he regained consciousness. They also had to explain to her how Van and Fiona were his parents.

"I know Van's anxious to talk to him. He has a lot he wants to explain to him. They were waiting for the right moment to tell him, but it looks like this is how it will be." Irvine got Van out of Fiona's room and told him it was okay to see Bit now. Van nodded and stood outside the door until the doctor left.

"I owe you an explanation. I hope you can understand…" To be polite, everyone went back to the lobby and waited.

Van took the time to explain everything from the beginning. He showed him the pictures of him when he was a baby and told him that he always carried it with him. It was the last picture he had of him, until the Zoid battles began. It was tough to relive the night that Thomas and Irvine told them about the bounty the Daggers put on his life. Bit sat in shock as his past was being unfolded to him. He even explained the fusion of Zeke and the Liger Zero. This was the reason their relationship was so special. Finally, he told him about Moonbay and her role in saving his life.

"But it looks like I couldn't protect you, after all. You were right there, and I still couldn't do anything."

The wounded warrior took in even more overwhelming information. He thought about what Leena said about the past. He could only imagine the effects that decision had on Van and Fiona. The pain in Van's eyes was still there after all these years.

Bit tried to sit up, but had a hard time with just one arm. "I accepted this with the job. I knew I could be injured or even killed, so why would you blame yourself?"

For the first time in sixteen years, Van said what he had always wanted to, "I am your father, Bit. No matter what you do or how old you are, it will always be my job to protect you."

"I don't blame you for any of it." Bit knew how important it was for him to say those words, but it was still hard to say. He could see the guilt easing away from Van's soul.

"I should be thanking you for trying to help Fiona. It was very brave of you."

"She'll be okay, right?"

"God, I hope so."

Moonbay slowly opened the door and told Van that Bit's parents were here. He stood up and told Bit that he would give him all the time he needed to talk to them. Hopefully, Bit would still feel like talking later.

"How'd they take the news?" Van felt like the burden he had been carrying all this time was finally lifted. Now he just worried about what the two people that raised Bit would think.

"Surprisingly well. I told them to think about what they would have done if the situation was reversed. They said you and Fiona are probably the bravest people they've ever heard of." He smiled at the compliment.

His smile quickly faded though, "I don't think Bit wants to accept what he's been told."

"It's a lot of information for him to handle in his condition. It has nothing to do with not wanting to accept you and Fiona as his parents."

"She's right, Van. I hate to say this now, but we do have a battle to prepare for." Irvine felt the need to keep Van's mind occupied on other matters.

Bit could hear them talking right outside his room. If they were heading into battle, he wanted to be there, too. He talked to the people that raised him and thanked them for everything they did.

"I loved growing up with you. You taught me all about Zoids, and encouraged me to become a Zoid pilot. I loved the fact that you always made me feel safe, and nobody can take that away from me."

Erica got up and kissed him on the forehead. "You completed our lives, Bit. We knew someday you would know the truth, but I didn't think we'd be learning it at the same time you were."

"We can't stop you from fighting," Ivan touched Bit's injured arm, "because it's something you feel you need to do. Let me say this though, I've always loved you as a son, and that's how I still feel."

Bit thought about the times that he and his father spent in the Zoid hangars. He thought about the times his mother read him stories and stayed up with him when he was sick. His mind also went back to the memory he gained when he and Fiona were shot in the guard tower. He began humming the song that he heard Fiona sing. Bit was very fortunate to have all these memories, and then he thought of Leena. She said she could picture her mother, but she had no real memories of her.

_"I have these feelings of resentment towards Van and Fiona, yet they sacrificed so much for me. How could I be so cold?"_

"We'll be back later, son. You need to get your rest, and I'm sure there are still some things you and Van need to discuss."

They left and let Van enter the room again. Bit was trying to get out of bed when Van stopped him.

"What's the rush? The doctors haven't released you, yet."

" I overheard Irvine say something about preparing for battle, so I'm getting ready."

"Wait a second; you can't fight in that condition."

Bit looked Van straight in the eyes, "I've been in rough shape before and still battled. The Liger and I have an understanding, and he compensates wherever I'm lacking."

"Your injuries are serious, Bit, going into a fight now is deadly."

When Bit stood up, he felt a little dizzy, but tried to hide it from Van. "Fiona is fighting for her life right now. I haven't even gotten a chance to talk to her as my mother. We couldn't be a real family, because someone had a vendetta against us. Do you think I can just lie here and do nothing?"

Bit's words touched Van. He wanted to talk to Fiona and get to know her as his mother. From the look in his eyes, Van knew there was no stopping him. "The doctors have ordered you to stay here for a couple more nights. That's what you should be doing now."

"I realize that, but something tells me you would do the same if you were in my position."

Van tried to hide his smirk, but Bit caught it. "I guess I know where I get my stubbornness from."

"Looks like we'll be fighting this one together." Van and Bit shook hands, as comrades and as father and son.


	16. Anger Rising

Leena was allowed back into Bit's room after Van left. "If it was anybody else, I'd tell them that they're a fool for going into battle, but that doesn't work with you."

Bit smiled at her as he struggled with his shirt. She walked over to him and guided his arms through the sleeves. He could now feel pain in his arm, but the doctor said it was a good sign. If he could feel pain in his arm than it meant that paralysis shouldn't be an issue.

"The doctor is going to put it in a sling. Needless to say, he wasn't happy with my decision to leave."

"How was your talk with Van?"

"It wasn't easy, but I thought a lot about what you said. I'm glad I did talk to him."

"You finally decided to listen to me?" Her smile was so comforting to Bit. Without even thinking, he leaned down and kissed her. She kissed him back and then immediately stopped.

Bit didn't know what to say, "If it was wrong, I'm sorry."

"No, it wasn't wrong at all. I just realized we're going into a battle with enemies on a whole new level."

"We?"

She gave him a curious look, "Don't think I'm letting you fight this alone."

He nodded his head. This time, she was the one that kissed him.

"I'm guessing Bit's going with us." Thomas was concerned.

"It's just as much his fight as it is ours. Did Beak get a trace on anything from the simulation, Thomas?"

"Yeah, someone used a Helcat. We didn't have a chance to chase it, but Beak can still pick up the trail it left behind."

"Then it looks like we're ready to go." Everyone nodded their heads.

"Catherine and I will stay with Fiona. She'll be fine, Van." The colonel felt that it was now safe to leave his wife.

Six Zoids were being launched from the Backdraft's hangar. Spence made the announcement to attack after the Zabats had bombarded headquarters. "It won't take long to get them out of their base."

Thomas, Irvine, and Raven were waiting just outside the gate. Raven glanced up towards the top of the gate where he spotted Shadow, who was joined by Specula. He could feel the reassuring presence of Ryss when he looked at her organoid. It was completely silent until Beak started beeping and showing Zoids on radar.

"We've got incoming Zabats!" Thomas radioed to the control tower, "I want all available aerial Zoid units launched now!" The order could be heard booming throughout the base, while Irvine and Raven were shooting down as many as they could.

Van, Bit, and Leena caught up to them. Van spoke up, "Thomas, we'll follow you."

Beyond the mountain range, rivals faced off once again. Beak sent out statistics to the other members on three enemy Zoids, but couldn't retrieve any information on two of them. The Zaber Fang immediately pounced on the Dibison. A familiar voice came over the radio and threatened Thomas, "Payback time, colonel."

"Megalo Max!" Thomas aimed directly at Nick's Zoid.

Raven was attacked from above and below. Zabats swarmed above him, and below him a Warshark would strike and go back underground. He held his ground firmly.

Irvine charged towards one of the unfamiliar Zoids. The pilot took him by surprise, "You'll be the first to fall to my new Guntiger. Enjoy the show."

Leena was tired of seeing Raven being outnumbered. When the Warshark surfaced for another attack, she fired upon it to draw its attention towards her. "Why don't you fight fair?"

"The Backdraft group has never fought fair, what makes you think this any different?" She recognized Palta's voice.

Raven took the opportunity to prepare the charged particle beam. He obliterated the rest of the Zabats, but it didn't take long before someone else fired. "Now what?"

An Elephander made an appearance right in front of the Genobreaker. He took the challenge and grabbed the Zoid's trunk. Spence deployed the Iron Claw and tried to rip Raven's pinchers.

Van made sure that he stood between Bit and the last opponent. In front of him, a lion type Zoid roared in anticipation. Bit radioed Van, "Someone's missing. I can feel someone else nearby, but I can't pick up anything on radar."

"I want you to stay back and see if another enemy appears. I'll handle, Angel."

Another voice crackled over Van's radio, "I shouldn't be surprised. But it is interesting to see father and son together."

"We're finishing this now, Angel."

"The Saberlion is even better than your Blade Liger. You're right, colonel, we will finish this."

The speed of their attack pushed the Liger Zero back. Bit was in a daze as he looked at the battles. In front of him, he faced the group that was responsible for separating him and his parents. Anger clouded his mind as he spoke, "You're not leaving me out of this! Do you even realize what you've done? I didn't even do anything to you and you used my life to get the Liger Zero. My mother is lying in a hospital bed struggling to survive, and you drag us out here to fight some old grudge. I don't even see how you can pilot a Zoid."

Angel's mind went back to the day the Liger Zero fused with Van's organoid. She remembered how it took on a life of its own and attacked her Storm Sworder. She remembered how she had to give up the only people that she actually trusted.

Jaq could hear Bit ranting while she was fighting the Lightning Saix. She also began to remember things, though it didn't have anything to do with what Bit was talking about. When she turned fifteen, she ran away from home. Her father wanted her to become another soldier in the army, but she couldn't bear what it had done to her family. Her mother left because she was tired of lonely and sleepless nights filled with worry. Jaq decided to leave a few years later, and that's when she met Angel and learned sabotage techniques.

Her concentration was broken and Irvine began to gain the upper hand. She didn't have any fight left in her, but she didn't want to disappoint Angel again.

The Saberlion turned towards the Liger Zero. Van immediately stepped in front of her. "We're not done here."

"Trying to make up for what you couldn't do all those years ago? How noble."

Bit was ready to jump past Van when he heard a voice. He looked around his cockpit seeing if someone was radioing him, but no one came up on screen. After a minute, he heard the voice again, and realized it was female. He looked around for Leena who was holding her own against the Warshark.

Meanwhile, Moonbay and Catherine called for a nurse to look at Fiona. Her vital signs were rising fast and the nurse had to call in a doctor to examine her.

"I don't understand this. A minute ago, she was almost lifeless, and now it looks like she just ran a marathon. We're going to have to calm her down, or the stress could be too much for her body."

Both women left the room and began to pray, "Please Fiona, hold on. Your husband and son are coming back to you, remember that!"

The Liger Zero stopped obeying Bit's commands. It roared and arched its back as Bit looked around bewildered. "Something's wrong."

"What is it? What's wrong with Zeke?" Van instinctively called the Liger, Zeke, and he started calming down.This worried Van as he thought about Fiona. He knew how close the two were and if Zeke was acting up, then something must be wrong with Fiona.

Bit wanted to respond to Van, but he heard the voice again. He listened carefully and heard someone plainly call his name.

Zeke took off away from the battle, and Van began to chase, but Angel stopped him. "We all have our own battles to fight!"

The Liger came to a dead halt as something came towards them. Finally, a Zoid appeared on radar, but by then, Bit could see his enemy.

"Vega Obscura." The Berserk Fury had changed. It was now the color of blood and boasted much higher energy readings than before. They were wings on its back that flowed down to the tail. Spikes had been added to the tail which was ripping away at the ground below them. It seemed like something out of a nightmare.


	17. Live Again

"Answer me, Vega! I know you're the only one that can pilot the Berserk Fury. Why are you working with the Daggers? It's not like you!"

No response from the Fury.

"Don't you know what these people have done? You said you wanted to fight great battles, so why would you do this?"

The Fury whipped around and attacked the Liger Zero, leaving deep scratch marks below the cockpit. Bit countered with the Strike Laser Claw, but when he came close to the head of the Zoid, the wings wrapped around it and a shield threw him back.

"Dammit. A lot has changed since the last time we fought."

The charged particle gun was warming up to fire. The Liger leapt out of the way and retreated, but the beam followed him around in a complete circle. The Guardian Force Zoids' sensors went off the charts. Thomas radioed Van, "This is similar to the Death Stinger's power."

No one could break away from their current fight to help Bit. Van was getting worried when he received a transmission from his son, "I've fought him before. Don't worry, I can handle him. He may have gotten stronger, but so have I!"

Sara looked at the battle from a safe distance. She and a scientist kept a close eye on Vega's vital signs and the Zoid's statistics. "Very good, Vega. You've exceeded my expectations."

The Liger kept retreating, trying to find a weak spot to exploit on the evolved Zoid. Bit heard the female voice for a fourth time.

"I've been trying to get you to listen to me. You need to understand something about this Zoid."

"Fiona? Where are you? What are you talking about?"

"I would love to be able to sit down with you and explain how I know all this, but right now, I'm asking you to trust me. The Zoid itself is attacking you, not the pilot."

Bit didn't say a word, but concentrated on Fiona's voice.

"A Zoid can be good or evil, just like a person, but unfortunately this Zoid's path has been chosen for it. Look deep inside."

Bit closed his eyes and opened them with intense concentration on the Fury. Its armor became transparent, and Bit identified the Zoid core and the black box organoid system. He could feel a burning hatred radiating from the center to the rest of the Zoid.

"What's wrong with him? What will happen to Vega?"

"Your father and I faced this Zoid a long time ago, but it was in a different form. Just like Zeke powers the Liger Zero, another organoid powers the Berserk Fury. Ambient is fighting the battle that caused Hiltz's death."

Fiona continued, "Vega has nothing to do with this. The Fury is just using him as an additional source of energy; although, if the fight goes on for too long, his body might not make it."

"Then I know exactly what I have to do. Thanks… Mom."

The doctor was losing hope when Fiona didn't respond to any of the treatments he was giving her. Finally, she calmed down and stabilized. It looked like she was gaining her strength again.

Thomas was becoming more and more furious with his opponent. When Nick charged towards the Dibison, Thomas rammed right through Zoid's body with the horns. An electric charged pulsated from the horns to the Zaber Fang. The cockpit lit up and Nick was electrocuted.

Spence felt like he had Raven beat and prepared to fire the gun at the Genobreaker's cockpit. Raven quickly cocked the Zoid's neck and bit through the trunk. It snapped in half and took Spence by surprise. The Genobreaker relentlessly fired upon the Elephander, until it exploded. Raven was too close to escape, and was caught in the aftermath.

Van saw the explosion and called out to Raven. It took a minute before Raven responded. He was fine, but the Genobreaker couldn't be used in anymore fighting for this battle.

Irvine and Jaq's battle had been decided earlier on, but Jaq didn't want to loose and face her comrades. Irvine pinned the Guntiger down and only meant to freeze the command system, but at the last minute she moved the head of the Zoid directly under the gun.

The last two battles were at a stalemate. Palta couldn't afford to lose to a member of the Blitz Team again. Leena wanted to prove that she had improved her skills and she wanted to help Bit in his fight.

Angel and Van were running on pure adrenaline. Van had everything to lose. His son needed his help and his wife was in poor condition at the hospital. He could feel the strength in his body drain away. The last remaining member of the Ice Daggers felt she was the only one left to avenge the humiliation they faced the last time they fought the Guardian Force.

Shadow fused with the Genobreaker to help it get back on its feet. For a minute, Raven could offer fire support against the Saberlion. Van contacted him when he saw what he was doing, "Go help Bit! The Liger Zero hasn't been able to get a shot in with the Fury constantly attacking."

"Gotcha, Van."

Irvine took a minute to process what had just happened. He couldn't believe she purposefully put herself in his line of fire. He didn't have a choice but to put that aside and help Leena. The Lightning Saix pushed the Warshark out of the way and kept him busy while Leena changed into the sniper mode. Leena fired expertly upon Palta and took him out of the battle.

Raven tried getting Bit to think before he attacked, "The Berserk Fury can fire the charged particle beam constantly and at any angle. If you get to close, the shield can instantly push you back."

"Thanks, but I all ready figured that out."

_"Geez, you really are Van's son." _Raven thought, but said this to Bit, "I'll fire my CPB to distract the Fury, while you charge up to attack the top of the head. With enough power, you could take out the pilot."

"I have to save Vega because he's not the one doing this."

"What are you talking about?" This was not the time to have a debate.

"Fiona told me that an old enemy was in control of the Fury, and not Vega. I believe she said, 'Ambient'."

Raven instantly thought of Hiltz and Prozen. Sixteen years later, the scars of that battle still hadn't healed.

Van felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. If Fiona was able to contact Bit, she must be getting better.

"We don't have a choice then. We have to destroy that Zoid, core and all!" Raven had a one-track mind.

"I can't! If Vega's not responsible for this, he shouldn't have to pay."

"Dammit, Bit, listen to me! He hasn't even unleashed his full potential yet!"

None of the remaining fighters could believe what they were hearing. After all that fire power, the Berserk Fury still had more in it.

"Listen to reason, Bit, there is no other alternative." Irvine was surprised that he agreed with Raven.

"Bit, do what you feel is right. That's what matters now!" Leena had complete faith in him.

"You weren't there during that battle with Hiltz and Ambient; otherwise, you wouldn't be saying that." Irvine tried not to think of that day.

"We can't stand around here arguing. Let's do it now, Irvine."

"I got your back, Raven."

The Blade Liger was not holding back anything now. Van felt more confident knowing Fiona was going be fine, and he was glad to hear Bit stood by his convictions. It was his turn to say something to Angel. "You thought you could tear my family apart, but as you can see, you failed. You even failed to help out your so-called friends in this fight. Look around you, they're all gone."

Angel finally realized what happened as she looked around at the Guntiger, Elephander, and Zaber Fang. She didn't know who was dead or alive, but suddenly she felt all alone again. "That's it, Van!"

It only took a false move for the Saberlion to fall to the Blade Liger. When she slipped up, Van sliced the Zoid clean in half.

_"That's what petty greed and hatred do, Angel. It causes destruction and it causes the soul to never rest in peace."_

"Let Bit handle this, Van. He has Zeke with him, and he also has our love and support." Fiona talked to her husband and Van never felt more relieved.

"I understand, Fiona." He radioed the others to pull back. "If you want to talk about full potential, just wait and see what Bit and the Liger Zero can do."

Raven and Irvine felt it was too risky, but their Zoids had suffered a lot of damage during the battle. Shadow was unable to stay fused with the Genobreaker and had to let go. Irvine pulled back and prayed that Bit could do it. Leena stood by Van and waited.

"_Guide our son, Fiona, he needs you now."_ Van silently prayed.


	18. The Son Rises

The scientist had to break the bad news to Sara, "Vega's vital signs are slipping and he's not responding to our communications. We can't even eject him remotely from here."

Sara felt her body grow cold and her heart sink. She looked around the battlefield and thought about what she had done. Was it worth the life of her son to get back at the Zoids Battle Commission? All Vega ever wanted to do was fight against strong opponents so he could become stronger. He respected everyone he fought, and he thought of his fights as stepping stones towards a bigger goal. He never really wanted to destroy anybody, at least, not the way that she and the Daggers had.

"I can't believe what my hatred blinded me, too." Sara collapsed on the ground and stared at the distant fight.

Bit could feel the Berserk Fury growing stronger. He knew what he had to do, but wondered if he had the ability as a pilot to do it. Fiona reassured him.

"Believe Bit, everyone around you believes in you, so you have to do this. Feel the strength of you and the Liger Zero. Use it to put an end to the Fury and get Vega back!"

He could feel the temperature rising in the cockpit. It was the same feeling he got after firing all his missiles in the Panzer CAS. "C'mon on Zeke, we have people counting on us."

Inside the Zoid core, Zeke could feel Bit's hope and renewed faith. He fed off that energy and powered up to a level he hadn't reached before. It was up to Bit to use the power wisely.

The Liger Zero's whole body began to glow bright gold. The Berserk Fury could feel the new power and backed up slowly, but only for a minute. It countered by powering up its charged particle beam.

"Take him Liger! Break through the Berserk Fury!" The color of the Liger stunned everyone that was watching. Beak's readings found it to be a powerful shield, but would it be enough to take on the ultimate weapon?

A roar between rivals could be heard all the way back at the hospital. Catherine and Moonbay looked out the window to see what was happening. They could see crimson and gold colors lighting up the sky.

"What's going on over there?"

"I hope everyone is okay." Catherine worried about her husband. Moonbay was about to speak when they heard Fiona mumble something.

"Is she coming to?"

"What is she saying?"

She clearly said, "Go, Bit!"

Zeke reached speeds that exceeded the Lightning Saix and raced over to strike the Zoid core of the Fury. "Hang on, Vega. Don't give up on me now."

The ferocity of the attack sounded like thunder as the two Zoids clashed against each other. The armor of the Liger was tearing apart as the Fury used its wings to push him off.

"Let go of Vega! He doesn't deserve this kind of torment!"

Bit could feel the pain right through his cockpit, but he couldn't give up when he was so close. He pushed himself even harder and with both arms, pushed the Liger Zero forward. After that, he couldn't feel his left arm anymore.

"They can't keep this up, Van, they'll both be killed." Irvine didn't know how they could save Bit at this point.

Van struggled with himself as he thought about what to do. Leena called out to him, "Bit can do it! He's not leaving you now after he just found you."

"You're right. My son wouldn't do such a thing."

Raven was amazed at the stamina of the two Zoids. Both were pushing themselves beyond their limits, yet it seemed like neither one could fall.

Finally, both Zoids burst into flames.

Van screamed as he looked at the sight. Out of nowhere, two bright lights flew towards the wrecked Zoids and quickly flew back. At that moment, the fire went out, and Shadow and Specula opened themselves up behind the Genobreaker.

All pilots exited their Zoids and rushed over to him. Bit and Vega fell to the ground. Vega didn't have a pulse, and Bit's could barely be heard. Leena and Van worked on reviving Bit while Raven helped Vega. Thomas called for help.

Sara couldn't believe what she had seen with her own eyes. She still wasn't able to move. All she could do was pray for her son's life.

Irvine asked Thomas a question, "What were those flames we saw? It couldn't have been a normal fire; there would have been scorch marks on the Zoids."

"Your guess is as good as mine. It could be the result of those two attacking with such high energy outputs. The power had to be released somehow, and neither pilot could pull away."

Bit opened his eyes for a minute. "Is he ok?"

Leena took his hand, "Raven's helping him now. You got him out of the Fury, Bit."

He cracked a small smile, "I can barely move. I feel so dizzy."

"You pushed yourself too hard. All you need to do is relax and rest to regain your strength." He nodded and closed his eyes again.

At last, Vega's heart started beating again. It seemed as if Sara could feel it when she made the announcement, "Vega must be okay."

For the second time in two days, the Guardian Force members found themselves at the hospital. The doctors said Bit's vitals were stable and he was resting easy. Fiona was wide awake by the time Van came back and was ready to see her son. Ryss and Ava stayed with Vega while Raven went off looking for something.

"Angel is still unconscious and the other three lost their lives out there. It's a real tragedy things had to come down like this." Irvine agreed with Thomas.

Fiona sat in a wheelchair beside Bit's bed, while Van sat on the other side. Leena stood at the foot and watched him sleep. He woke up to three sets of eyes staring at him. "No wonder I couldn't get any sleep."

He looked at Fiona, "I'm so glad you're all right. There's a lot you still need to tell me about."

She smiled and nodded her head, "You did what few warriors would have done. You risked your life to save an old foe."

"Vega just likes fighting great battles. We understand each other when it comes to that."

Bit looked at Leena who had tears flowing down her cheeks. "I'm fine, see? There's no need to cry."

"I know, I just can't help myself."

"I care for you too much to leave."

She wiped away a tear, "I know you do."

Ryss met Raven out in the hall. "No luck?"

He shook his head, "I'm sure Sara's around somewhere, but I just couldn't find her."

"You will. She has nowhere left to run."

Angel awakened to find herself surrounded by guards. She also awakened to a disturbing fact. All she cared about was causing others pain. In the end, she was the one that suffered the most. It was something that she couldn't handle.

After three weeks, things slowly returned to normal. Three cadets from the Royal Cup Tournament passed the Gauntlet and graduated to become official members of the Guardian Force.

Bit looked at the Liger Zero in the Zoid's hangar. Van walked up behind him and asked him what he was thinking about. "I was hoping for peace on Zi."

"Really?"

"Yeah, because I don't think the Liger Zero could handle anymore battles like the one we had a while back."

Fiona walked up to her two favorite men. "That's an interesting way to look at it."

"Any word on Sara?"

Van shook his head, "We still have warrants out for her arrest, but we haven't had any leads."

"Nothing on Vega, either, huh?"

He shook his head again, "Nope, afraid not. In all the commotion after Angel's death, he disappeared, but people always leave traces. We'll find him."

Bit looked towards the horizon. _"Rest easy, King, you have nothing to worry about now."_


End file.
